The Business of Grieving
by Appleye2
Summary: Modern AU. Death is a somber business for funeral director Hiccup. It was also the last place he ever expected to find love. Hiccstrid. WARNING: Contains descriptions of death and funerals. THANK YOU! For all your great support. This story will be continued...
1. Chapter 1

**I know I haven't finished off my other stories, but this one has been bugging me for a while.**

 **THESE TWO CHAPTERS ARE PURELY A TESTER.**

 **Because it's about death, dying and funerals, some people may find it offensive, particularly the humor. I've tried to keep things as tasteful as possible in the circumstances available. If people are happy with it, I will continue...most likely at the same rate as my other stories. Sorry! *ducks down***

 **BUT, if people find this story offensive, I will simply pull the plug and keep it for my personal collection. Let me know what you think.**

* * *

"It was a lovely funeral, Hiccup. Thank you for everything you've done. I know dad would have been pleased."

Hiccup stood by the double doors of the chapel, dressed in his black suit with the red tie and smiled at his client, a young woman aged in her late twenties.

"I'm glad it went well for you, Miss Peters," he told her somberly.

She gave him a coy smile. "Please...call me Carol. I feel like we're practically best friends, the amount of time we've spent together." She rested her hand on his upper arm.

Hiccup kept his smile polite, but his posture stiffened a little. "Thank you...Carol. I appreciate your comment. And if you need anything further, you're welcome to give us a call," he replied, although his tone was still formal.

"You can come to the wake with us," she invited with a teasing grin. "I'll be waiting for you."

Hiccup gave a stiff nod. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline."

"Oh well then..." she slipped a note into his breast pocket, then patted it. "A little something in case you change your mind."

She turned and left, deliberately swaying her hips in the tight fitting black dress she was wearing.

Hiccup forced the smile to stay on his lips until she had walked far enough away, then quickly closed the glass doors, making sure they were locked tight.

"Phew!"

"Is it safe to come in?" came another voice.

Hiccup turned towards the stocky black haired man, who had barged in through the side door. "Well, if it wasn't, then it would be too late, wouldn't it?" he said with a shake of his head.

Snotlout waved his hand dismissively. "Ngh…no skin off my back."

Blonde twins waltzed in behind Snotlout. "No skin on your back? Cool! Can I look?" asked Tuffnut eagerly, grasping at the buff man's shirt.

Snotlout pulled himself out of the male twin's grip. "Hey! Leave my shirt alone. I've got plenty of skin. None of it is for you."

"Then why did you say you had no skin?" asked Ruffnut, screwing up her face in confusion.

"It's a saying…alright, a saying. It's not real," huffed Snotlout in irritation.

"Guys….can we focus here?" said Hiccup, indicating the untidy room with flower petals strewn all over the floor, and the chairs out of alignment.

"Oh right…the party's over and now it's time for cleanup," remembered Tuff.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "I hardly think a funeral qualifies as a party."

"Why not? A party is a gathering of family and friends where there's music and food, is it not? You played some music. And aren't they all gathered where the food is right now?" asked Tuff.

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply, then thought better of it. "Can't argue with that, I suppose."

"Nope."

Ruffnut was already sucking up rose petals with the vacuum, while Snotlout was readying the casket to push it through the hidden doors behind the curtains. He picked up the flower arrangement from off the coffin and shook it, so all the loose petals scattered all over the floor…right where Ruff had just finished vacuuming.

"I hope you intend to clean up that mess you just made," said Ruffnut in a warning tone.

"Nah…that's your job."

"My job is to clean up after the people who attended the funeral…not the slobby worker who made the mess on purpose," said Ruffnut, getting ready for a fight.

Hiccup strode over quickly from the back of the room, where he had been turning off all the sound equipment.

"Guys, stop. Snotlout, can you try to keep the petals ON the casket…and Ruff, can you at least wait until he's left _before_ cleaning there."

Snotlout whined, "But Hiccup…they always fall off and make a mess outside. Then I have to clean it up."

Ruffnut sniggered. "Must be the only cleaning you ever do," she said snidely.

Hiccup ignored them both, and went to help Snotlout push the casket through to the cremator room, ready for Snotlout to cremate. Checking briefly on the twins to ensure they were still on track with the cleaning, he stripped off his jacket and tie and headed towards the office.

He walked in, only to find Fishlegs looking very flustered, chasing through paperwork with one hand while he held the phone to his ear with the other.

"Yes, sir. As soon as I can find it, I'll get back to you. We've been a little busy this week. No sir, I assure you, we are very professional. Sir…I…"

He stopped short and pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at it. "Well, if that's how you feel about it…." he muttered to himself, before placing the phone back in its holder.

"Trouble?" asked Hiccup.

Fishlegs sighed in frustration. "I couldn't find the Form 1 to send to the doctor…he got a little upset with me," he said, with a slightly guilty and also annoyed frown. "Hiccup…we really need a receptionist. I can't answer all these phone calls and organize funerals too. It's impossible."

Hiccup thought for a moment. "What about Ruffnut? She could do it."

Fishlegs gave him an _'are you serious_?' look.

"Have you _heard_ her answer the phone? She answers with, 'Walking Zombies Department. We do zombies on request."

Hiccup tried not to snigger. "Okay. Point taken."

"Oh…and last week…I heard her say 'You kill 'em, we grill 'em.' And there's more…" Fishlegs was starting to get wound up, and Hiccup decided he had better interrupt.

"Alright, I get the picture. No Ruff on the phone. Fishlegs, I don't know if I can afford a receptionist right now. Plus all the training I'd have to do with them….I haven't got the time either," Hiccup told him.

Fishlegs gave him a pleading look. "Please?"

Hiccup shook his head and wagged a finger at him. "Oh no…don't give me the puppy eyes, Fishlegs," he warned.

"Please? What about if they only work part time? It won't cost so much and would make our lives much easier," Fishlegs begged again.

Hiccup sighed, knowing he could never refuse his friend. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Fishlegs gave him a bright smile. "You're the best boss, Hiccup. Thank you." He headed out the door.

"I haven't said yes, yet," called out Hiccup loudly to the broader man's departing back.

"But you will," sang back Fishlegs, now halfway down the hallway. "You always do."

Hiccup sighed, rubbing his hands through his hair in frustration. "I know. And that's what gets me into trouble," he grumbled to himself.

-oOo-

Hiccup Haddock the Third, was a funeral director. He had come into ownership of the 'Haddock Family Funerals' business in the small town of Berk, after his father Stoick, had passed away three years before. He was now twenty-six years old and had been involved in the funeral business ever since his late teens, when his father had started grooming him to 'take over the family business'.

At the time, Hiccup had not wanted to be involved with death. He felt he was far too young for that, and wanted to travel and see the world first. But after his father had been diagnosed with heart disease, Hiccup had found he was needed more and more to take over his father's heavy work load. Until finally, at the age of twenty-two, he ended up in full control of the funeral home, while his father's health declined rapidly.

It wasn't until Stoick's death, that Hiccup truly 'got it'. Refusing all offers of help, he had preferred to spend these last final moments with his father's body on his own. Washing him, brushing his hair, and dressing him in his best suit ready for the funeral, Hiccup realised how special it was to know that his father was still cared for, still being cared for, until that final moment when the coffin entered the cremator.

It was a lesson his dad had tried to teach his immature mind many times over. He would say, "Son, you've been given a special privilege. These families have trusted you to look after one of their own. It's an honour, and you must always treat it that way. Respect each one as if they were your own family."

It wasn't until his dad died, that Hiccup truly understood what that meant. So now he was proud to be a funeral director…to help other families in their greatest hour of need. He had smartened up his casual attitude to life, and had become a very well respected man in his own right. Throughout the community, he was considered a caring and thoughtful individual.

It didn't hurt that others also found him quite handsome. At six foot three, with a lean build and auburn hair, Hiccup was an eligible bachelor. Sometimes female clients left him personal notes or cards…occasionally small gifts. Enough came through, however, that his friends had taken up a 'blush-o-meter' to gauge how explicit the notes had been when Hiccup read them. For it was guaranteed with each letter, that Hiccup's cheeks would flare into different shades of red, and this reaction fascinated the others no end.

Speaking of which….

"Have you read the note yet?" asked Snotlout suddenly, popping through the office door and almost giving Hiccup a heart attack.

"What? What note?" he asked in irritation, waiting for his heart rate to return to normal.

"Don't think I didn't see that babe put a note in your pocket," teased Snotlout.

The twins pushed their way past the buff, black haired man. The brother-sister duo were lean and lanky with long blonde hair. Tuffnut always had his in dreadlocks, while Ruffnut kept hers in three loose braids.

"Has he read it yet?" Ruff now asked, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

"No, he's denying there's a note," Snotlout told them, while Hiccup shook his head in disbelief.

"Of course there's a note," added Fishlegs, who had come back in the other door. "We saw it on the cameras."

Fishlegs was a broad man, more chubby than muscle. Hiccup relied on him as the voice of reason in amongst the sea of madness the others provided. But it seemed even he had his moments of silliness.

Hiccup gave the big man a dry look. "If you're all so keen to see what's in the note, why don't you read it?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? And miss out on the fun of watching your toes curl and your face turn into a beetroot? This is the most exciting thing that happens all week," said Ruffnut in anticipation.

"Oh, and I suppose that all the running around we have to do every week to organize funerals is not exciting?" Hiccup asked.

"Nah…that's just the usual. This is the spice we crave," said Tuffnut. "Watching your love life unfold before us, is like watching a train wreck...a total disaster but you still can't look away."

"Since when is my…love life, or lack thereof….of any concern to you lot?" Hiccup asked incredulously.

"Puh-lease…being voted Berk's 'Most Eligible Bachelor' for three years running…all those women throwing themselves at your feet…it's so embarrassing to watch you fall over yourself. What's not interesting in that?" said Snotlout.

"Gee, thanks. I can feel the love," said Hiccup sarcastically.

"Yeah, it's not like Snot can do any better," said Tuff. His sister sniggered beside him.

"Hey! I can pull in any babe I want," said Snotlout. "They take one look at these guns pumping, and they can't help swooning at my feet." He flexed his biceps at them.

"Nah, you got it all wrong," said Ruffnut. "They're falling unconscious from the bad smell, not swooning," said Ruffnut, taunting him.

Fishlegs spoke up. "Guys, please. Do you mind?"

"Thank you Fishlegs, I appreciate that," said Hiccup with gratitude.

Fishlegs continued. "He hasn't read the note yet."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Annnd the moment's gone." Sighing, he knew he wasn't getting out of this. Personally, he would prefer to tip it straight into the bin and not even open it, but if a little bit of embarrassment kept them happy, who was he to deny his friends? They all worked very hard for him...mostly.

Picking up his jacket from where he had slung it over the chair, he pulled the note out of the top pocket. Flicking it open, he quickly read through the words. The others were all eagerly watching him.

"I call 'tomato'," yelled Tuffnut.

"No, 'beetroot'," said Ruff.

"What about just 'peachy'?" asked Fishlegs.

Snotlout snorted and crossed his arms. "You're all wrong. I'm going for 'Pink ears'."

Hiccup tried very hard not to blush, but he couldn't help it. The young woman hadn't written too much, but it was still enough.

"Peachy! I win," said Fishlegs, doing a little victory dance.

"Peachy? I protest! You had inside information," said Ruffnut, slamming her foot on the ground with a huff.

Hiccup shook his head and left them to argue without him. It could sometimes last a while when all of them got involved. Heading out to the small garden courtyard, Hiccup found his favourite seat. He sat and rested his chin in his hand. Gazing absently into the greenery, he thought about what Tuffnut and Snotlout had said.

Sure, his love life had been a string of...disasters would be the best word for it...but somehow, his friends comments had stung more than he realised. Being so busy in a profession that demanded 24/7 from you, took a toll on his personal life. And while he certainly had plenty of ...opportunities...none of them had been long lasting.

It had seemed his profession was a major stumbling block. Some were a little _too_ fascinated by death, and when they started asking for coffins to sleep in at night, he would hurriedly run the other way. Others were repulsed by it, and would start to demand more of his time away from the parlour. They would show disgust when he had to leave in a middle of a date, or cancel plans at the last minute. So they too were quickly left behind.

He'd also made the mistake of dating clients on a few occasions. Something he vowed never to do again. A few had only been looking for discounts on their bill, and as soon as he had done so, they had immediately dropped him. A couple had been emotional wrecks, clingy and needy. At first, he had assumed that it was because they were grieving...until he found out they were like that all the time. Others had merely treated him as some kind of prize to be shown off. He'd promptly shown them the door too.

Hiccup sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want somebody in his life...but it was obviously going to take a special kind of woman to put up with his lifestyle. And at age twenty-six, he hadn't found the right one yet.

Fishlegs came outside. "Hey, Hiccup. You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah...I'm fine." Hiccup said despondently.

"You sure? You don't sound fine. Did the guys upset you? If you want, I can make sure they don't bother you again."

"No, no...that's okay. It's just...did you ever feel being in this business would be a bad thing?" Hiccup asked his friend.

"Whoa! Where's this coming from? You love this job," said Fishlegs in surprise.

"I know, I know. But...what if I never find someone to share my life with? What if I never get the chance to marry...or have a family?"

"Ohhhh. So that's what this is. Hiccup...I'm sure there's a wonderful lady out there, just waiting for you...You just haven't met her yet. Have patience. It will happen."

Hiccup snorted. "That's easy for you to say, you married your high school sweetheart."

Fishlegs smiled softly at the mention of his loving wife, Heather.

"Yeah, I know I'm a lucky guy. But it will happen for you too. I know it. You're a great guy, Hiccup. Smart, handsome..." He gave Hiccup a gentle nudge. "...have a fantastic funeral plan..."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Because that's such a great drawcard." But he smiled anyway. Fishlegs noticed.

"There! That's what I want to see. Don't give up on love just yet." He stood up. "Come on...I'll help you set up for the Fleckham burial. Snotlout probably hasn't remembered to pack the hearse yet for tomorrow. After that it will be time to go home."

Hiccup stood up too, but shook his head. "No. I'll be here late tonight. It's tax time. I have to go through the accounts."

Fishlegs gave him a pointed look. "See? Receptionist!"

Hiccup only laughed and started inside. He had work to do. Romance would just have to wait.

-oOo-

Hiccup yawned. He sleepily smacked his lips before realising where he was. Immediately pulling himself to attention, he worriedly searched around him to see if anyone had noticed. But all eyes were on the celebrant at the front of the chapel. It was an exceptionally long funeral service and he had half dozed off, feeling the effects of not enough sleep.

After his late night doing the books, he had staggered home and collapsed into bed, only to be woken by a call out at four a.m. for old Mrs Smith, who had finally passed away after holding on for the last six months. Just as he had been about to leave the family home with her body, some more relatives had arrived and he had been forced to wait a bit longer before he could go.

Not that he minded of course, but it meant he had barely made it to work in time to get ready for this morning's funeral. It was being held for the young man, Billy Fleckham. Young people generally attracted longer services and larger crowds. Which meant he had needed extra help to conduct it. And for him, that meant the twins.

Hiccup checked his schedule. He hadn't missed his cue for the slideshow presentation yet. He still had time. Glancing over at the twins, he was not surprised to see them having a staring competition with each other. Thankfully it was a silent exercise. The first few times he'd brought them along with him to assist at a funeral, they had loudly proclaimed to him they were bored…right in the middle of a service. He had an awful lot of explaining to do after that, to some irate customers. Since then, he had encouraged the twins to take up _quiet_ competitions to keep themselves entertained. So far, it had worked.

His gaze slid down to their feet, and he had to suppress a chuckle. Both twins insisted on wearing identical suits…right down to the slightly too short pants with the dragon print white socks visible underneath. The reason they did this…as they explained to Hiccup…was to confuse people when they were welcomed in by one twin, and then seated by the other. Hiccup didn't really want to know what went on in that space between their ears, but as long as they did their job without disturbing anybody, he was fine with it.

Hiccup glanced up. The eulogy had finished and the celebrant was about to introduce the slide show. He was instantly alert, getting ready to do his part and make sure the whole service went through as seamlessly as he could make it.

-oOo-

Hiccup drove the hearse into the loading bay, sighing in quiet relief. It had been a difficult morning, ending at the cemetery for the burial on a very hot day.

"I'm going back to my air conditioned mortuary," said Ruffnut loudly, as soon as the three of them had piled out of the hearse.

Snotlout laughed, "What's the matter Ruff...can't stand a little heat?" He puffed out his chest, like a peacock in full strut. "I can handle 1200 degrees, baby," he boasted.

Tuffnut gave an uninterested sneer. "Do it in a full suit and tie...then I'll be impressed," he told the other man, slinging his jacket and loosened tie over his shoulder.

"Yeah...Hiccup nearly melted into his own back pocket. I'm sure his tie has fused onto his neck," said Ruff.

Hiccup pulled the mobile speaker out of the hearse. "It didn't help that the batteries were flat," he said, glowering at the twins.

"What? You told us to swap them," said Tuff with a shrug.

"Uh…two days ago. And when you didn't do it, I had to do it this morning."

"Yeah, right before we accidentally swapped the flat ones back again. You should know us by now, Chief."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Yeah…I should. Why do I employ you two again?"

"Because we're the best morticians you can afford to pay," Ruff shot back. "At least we didn't knock that old lady into the grave," she sniggered.

Hiccup looked up at them, offended. "I did not knock her in…I stopped her from falling in when she tried to throw the petals on the coffin and overbalanced."

Tuff sniggered, "Another woman falling at your feet. Pity her age was the same as the temperature today."

Ruff added, "Yeah, like one hundred and ten. Boy, you sure are getting desperate Hiccup."

Hiccup decided to ignore them and left the final unpacking to the twins and Snotlout, while he headed for the office.

Fishlegs greeted him as soon as he walked in. "Hiccup! You're late!"

Hiccup frowned and held up four fingers, "Heat. Twins. Flat Batteries. And twins. Not necessarily in that order."

"Well, you better move it, because you have your appointment with Mrs Green soon. And that paperwork for the new client came through. She'll be here later this afternoon." He stopped to wrinkle his nose and gave an obvious sniff. "Ew…I think you had better shower before you go."

"Thanks Fishlegs. Your comments are always appreciated," said Hiccup drily, pulling out a well-thumbed file from his in-tray.

Fishlegs beamed. "My pleasure….So, who do you think will be the 'relative of the month' this time," he asked.

Hiccup flicked through the paperwork, checking he had it all. "Probably Eunice…it's her turn," he muttered, more to himself.

Mrs Green was an old dear who insisted on Hiccup coming to visit her once a month, to ensure that her funeral insurance was still valid, the money was still there, and no, he hadn't forgotten her wishes regarding her funeral. How could he? She reminded him every month. Every few months, she would also ask to change the name of her next of kin to be contacted in the event of her death. Hiccup had given up crossing the name out on the sheet. Now he had a sheet for each of the three relatives Mrs Green switched between, and he simply wrote the date on the most current one.

Every time Hiccup had tried to gently suggest that he didn't need to keep coming to see her, she would get upset and tell him firmly that she was dying, and how could he bear to live with the knowledge he had messed up her funeral? So Hiccup would sigh and give in, making another appointment with her for the following month. The problem was, she had been 'dying' for the last two years, even though she was as healthy as a horse. Hiccup was sure Mrs Green would outlast him. He could just imagine her, knocking on his gravestone with her walking stick, telling him to get up and make sure her funeral was just as she wanted it.

Hiccup shook his head at the thought, and headed for the shower, grabbing his bag of spare clothes as he went. The mortuary had a small wet room that contained an open shower and a toilet. He slid the door closed, and for about the millionth time that year, he flipped the lock only to remember that he still hadn't repaired it. Sighing, he ignored it and dropped his clean clothes on the shelf.

Stripping off his old, sweaty suit he gratefully stepped under the refreshing shower. It only took a few moments to scrub himself clean, but he wasn't ready to leave just yet. Holding onto the shower head for balance, he closed his eyes and let the water flow over his tired muscles while his mind churned over.

He was feeling the effects of not enough sleep and too much work, but his day wasn't over yet. He had received an odd phone call this morning while he was getting ready for the burial. It had been from a very distraught young woman. Her uncle had died in unusual circumstances that he didn't understand yet, but his body had now been released from the coroner's, ready for cremation. She had told him that she was the executor and said quite firmly that he was _not_ to take instructions from any other relatives, no matter what story they gave him.

It sounded as if it was going to be a difficult case, so he had decided to take it on instead of Fishlegs. The other man was a wonderful funeral director, caring and sensitive... but he didn't like conflict.

Hiccup's eyes were still closed under the soaking shower, frowning as he mentally ran through all the forms he would need, and it was a moment before he registered the door sliding open. His eyes snapped open and he yelped, leaping sideways to grab his towel. Keeping his back turned to the unknown person he shouted, "What are you doing in here? I'm having a shower."

A rough, feminine voice cackled. "I know. I need to use the loo."

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at Ruffnut, who was clearly enjoying herself way too much at his expense.

"Couldn't you wait? Or use the other toilet?" he asked with a huff, making sure the towel was wrapped tightly around himself. He kept his back to her.

He could practically hear her shrugging. "Nah…this one is closer. Great buns by the way…"

Hiccup heard the distinct sound of fabric sliding over skin, and he stiffened in shock, his eyes wide open. Without turning around, he asked very quickly, "What are you doing?"

"Using the toilet. What else?" she replied, the sounds of subtle splashing giving testimony to that statement.

"With me in here?" he squeaked.

"What's the matter? We're all guys, right?" she said nonchalantly, still not finished.

"Uh…last time I checked, you were a girl," said Hiccup in agitation, wondering if it was possible to will his ears shut against the sounds coming from her direction. He didn't dare release the towel to block them with his fingers.

"Ohh….so you've been checking me out," said Ruff, her obvious pleasure at his discomfort coming through in her voice.

"What? No! Are you crazy? You're not supposed to be in here at the same time as me," he practically shouted. He kept his eyes trained firmly on a spot on the wall in front of him, so that he didn't accidentally see something he would really…. _really_ regret.

"Why not? I walk in on Tuff all the time. He doesn't dance around like you do," said Ruffnut, grabbing the paper.

"He's your brother…you grew up with him. That's normal for families…it's not normal to just walk in on any male," huffed Hiccup.

He heard fabric being pulled over skin again, and he almost cried with relief. Finally, it sounded like his torment would be soon over.

"Ngh…whatever," she replied, washing her hands in the basin.

Hiccup nearly jumped six feet up, when he felt her hands grabbing the edge of his towel to dry them.

"Ruffnut! Use the paper towel!" he shouted urgently, yanking the only barrier between his nakedness and her eyes away from her grasp.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes and headed out the door. "Boy, you sure are touchy," she complained. She left the door open, and Hiccup only took a second to close it. He kept his eyes firmly glued to the door in case it opened again, and rapidly dressed himself, not even bothering to dry his hair until all his clothes were in place. Only then, did he relax and finish the job.

Heading back to the office, he vowed to drive straight to the hardware store before his appointment with Mrs Green, and buy himself a new door lock.

Hiccup was quickly descending into a foul mood, so when he opened the office door to find all his staff staring at him, he snapped. "What are you all looking at?"

"Oh, Ruff was just telling us where to find a nice pair of buns," said Snotlout, choking back a laugh.

"Don't bother looking, because that door will be locked from now on, " Hiccup told them firmly. He gathered up his paperwork, including the forms for the new client.

"Hey boss... if you can't find the girl of your dreams...I'll hook up with you," said Ruffnut, a strange gleam in her eyes.

Tuffnut and Snotlout sniggered while Fishlegs blushed deep red.

Hiccup gave her such a terrified look of revulsion and horror that Tuffnut and Snotlout roared with laughter.

"Ah...no, thanks Ruff. Bachelorhood looking pretty inviting right now," said Hiccup nervously, backing away. Holding his paperwork tightly, he grabbed his jacket and car keys then practically ran out the office. But he was still close enough to hear Ruff say,"Ngh...I prefer my men with a bit more muscle anyway."

Hiccup didn't know if he should feel relieved or offended at the comment, but when he heard Snotlout suggest they should set him up with blind dates, Hiccup yelled back loudly, "NO!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup was putting the last screw in on the new door lock for the bathroom, when Fishlegs stuck his head in.

"Your next appointment is here," he said to his boss.

"Oh...good. Uh..." he looked at the mess around him.

"I'll clean it up," Fishlegs offered.

"Thanks."

Hiccup tidied up his shirt and tucked it back in his trousers on his way to the office. Grabbing his jacket and quickly slinging it on, he picked up the paperwork and headed for the arrangement room. Walking in, he was immediately taken aback by the scene in front of him.

There, seated at the centre of the table was a slender blonde woman with a serious scowl on her beautiful face. She had her arms crossed and clearly was not impressed with the company she was currently keeping, four other more generously sized adults and a surly lad.

He had to assume she was Astrid Hofferson, the woman who had spoken to him that morning. He caught her eye, but before he even had a chance to introduce himself, one of the women broke in and stuck out her hand to Hiccup, who politely shook it.

She practically purred, "I'm Tessa, Finn's wife."

"Ex-wife," snapped the blonde, glaring at the woman.

Tessa barely gave Astrid a glance as she pulled the boy in front of her. "This is Ross, my son. He's been so devastated about losing his father." She pouted, and her bottom lip trembled in a very practiced manner, that even Hiccup could see through.

The blonde snorted. "I bet. Especially when everybody knows he wasn't Uncle Finn's kid."

Tessa glared at Astrid, while Hiccup nodded politely at the black haired woman with the heavily painted face, and attempted to smile at the boy. But the lad wouldn't even lift his eyes from the game he was playing on his phone.

Hiccup tried to make eye contact with the furious Astrid again, but this time a balding man with a rounded stomach stuck out his hand. Hiccup shook it, but nearly had the blood squeezed out of his fingers from the man's strong grip. His eyes bulged, but he refrained from saying anything.

"Name's Heff. This is my wife Gerty, and my son Todd." He indicated to the two other heavy set adults. Hiccup noticed the man deliberately left Astrid out from his introductions.

Heff continued. "I'm Finn's brother. Now this is a distasteful business, and we want to get this over and done with as quietly as possible. How soon can you cremate?" he asked brusquely.

Hiccup had to blink at the man's abruptness. "Uh…I'm sorry? I thought we were arranging for a funeral?" he asked slowly, because he was sure that was what he had been told on the phone.

Heff grimaced unpleasantly. "No, that won't be necessary. The man died shamefully. Don't want my family name to be tainted with all this. You understand?"

Hiccup could see Astrid standing up, her face livid. "Oh, the great and wise Heff Hofferson," she snarled sarcastically, drawing everyone's attention. "Your so called 'name' is more important to you than your own brother. You never cared for Uncle Finn. You were always telling him he wasn't as important as you. Just because you accidentally made some money on the stock market, you and your pompous family think you're above everybody else."

Heff's round face grew red, and he shook his finger at his niece in a condescending manner. "Now see here, child. He may have tricked you into thinking he was some kind of hero, but you heard how he died….like a coward! He ran away and left his partner by himself. That's how he got shot!"

Astrid's fists were clenched and Hiccup was alarmed at how quickly things were getting out of control.

"You don't know any of that. The investigation hasn't been finished yet. You've 'conveniently' decided what happened without waiting for any of the facts," she growled at him through gritted teeth.

Tessa sneered. "Please! Everybody knows he froze, honey." She grabbed her son and dragged him unwillingly against her. "My poor Ross doesn't have his father anymore. How is he going to have the things he needs?" she pouted.

Astrid rolled her eyes and gave a loud huff. "You are nothing more than a leech. You're only here to see if Uncle Finn left you any more money. Haven't you sucked him dry enough already? Can't you leave him alone now that's he's dead?"

Tessa sniffed indignantly. "How rude."

"Well if the shoe fits, honey," said Astrid sarcastically.

Tessa turned to an astounded Hiccup. She pouted. "Can you please make her leave? She's nothing more than the niece. I'm his wife…"

"…and I'm his brother," broke in Heff behind her.

Tessa continued, "We should be the ones to decide on Finn's funeral."

Astrid snorted derisively. "What funeral would you lot hold? You'd have him cremated as cheaply as possible so that you can shove the rest of his money in your back pocket. Well, I've got news for you…he made me his executor, so I will be the one making decisions…not you blood sucking monsters," she snapped.

"That's _enough_! You will leave this room, and _I_ will arrange his disposal," shouted Uncle Heff.

Astrid gasped in outrage and drew back her fist, ready to aim straight for the pompous round man. Hiccup's eyes opened wide, seeing what was about to happen. He launched himself towards the furious Astrid, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her backwards. It took all his strength to restrain the struggling woman, but somehow he managed to drag her out of the room while she yelled obscenities towards her family. He took her into the second arrangement room, past a very startled Fishlegs.

"Get me Ruff and Tuff. Now!" ordered Hiccup, before closing the door.

Fishlegs didn't hesitate, and quickly called the twins on the intercom.

Not long after, the twins were knocking on the closed door. Hiccup opened it and they could see a blonde woman pacing furiously at the back of the room, screaming and punching the solid concrete wall.

They both raised their eyebrows, but Hiccup told them quietly, "Ruff, Tuff…I need a removal service."

The twins immediately rolled up their sleeves. "Which ones?"

"All of them," he said lowly, indicating towards the other room.

"Oh, a complete house job. Been a while since we had one of those. Ready sis?" said Tuffnut.

Ruffnut cackled and fist bumped her brother. "As ever."

Hiccup closed the door confident the twins would do their job, and turned back to the highly agitated woman still pacing and screaming her frustration. Tears of rage were drifting down her cheeks, and he could see that she'd hurt her hand. He grabbed a few tissues from a box, and walked over to her.

"Here…let me have a look at your hand," he said quietly.

Astrid stopped to stare at him, as if she'd only just noticed he was there. She turned her damp gaze to her fist and was surprised at the damage she had caused.

"Oh!" was all she said, her rage suddenly dissipating at the distraction.

Hiccup took her hand in his and gently mopped up the blood from her split skin. This simple and caring action made her take notice of the man in front of her. Letting her gaze drift over his tousled auburn hair, and the kindly green eyes he flashed at her, Astrid was amazed to find herself somehow trusting him.

His long fingers were attentive and soft, and staring at them seemed to unlock the tension she had been suffering from ever since that terrible phone call telling her of Finn's death.

Without knowing why, she started telling him everything.

"They weren't supposed to be here, but they wouldn't leave me alone. They kept insisting they had to be involved even though I knew they didn't care about Uncle Finn. He deserves a decent funeral because he was a wonderful and brave man, and he had many good friends. We all loved him and he would go out of his way to help anyone...Pity he had such lousy family," she finished savagely.

Hiccup gave her a small smirk, trying to cheer her up a little. "Oh, I don't know. His niece seems to be pretty devoted."

Astrid gave him a sad smile. "Thank you for that."

Hiccup threw the messy tissues in the rubbish. "Wait a moment...we need to bandage this," he told her, indicating her bruised hand.

She tried to tug it away from his grip. "You don't have to do that. I'll fix it later."

"No you don't," he said firmly, keeping her hand in his. "The sooner this is cleaned up, the quicker it will heal. Will you let me?" he asked gently, refusing to let go till she nodded. She gave him a small smile.

Releasing her, he went to the door and beckoned Fishlegs over. "Can you get me the first aid kit please?"

"Sure thing, Hiccup."

He waited till the other man handed him the kit, then only partially closed the door. Spreading the equipment out on the desk, he pulled out the disinfectant and a bandage before sitting on the couch with her. While he tended to her hand, Astrid apologized.

"Sorry about your wall."

Hiccup glanced over at the mark where she had impacted. He smiled, "Don't worry about it. I think your hand came off second best anyway. Although remind me never to get on your bad side. I'd hate to be the recipient of one of those power punches."

She giggled, surprised at how easily he made her laugh. He flashed those green eyes at her again, a mischievous glint hidden there.

"Oh, I'm sure you'd handle it. You look pretty tough," she teased him in reply.

He picked up the leftovers and stood up, "Are you referring to all this raw manliness?" he asked her, with a sweeping gesture to himself.

She laughed, and turned her lovely blue eyes on him. Hiccup stopped short when he realized he was drowning in a sea of blue. She was a client…a very beautiful one, but still a client. That meant she was from the 'no-go' zone. And right now she was hurting. He needed to maintain his professionalism.

He dropped the rubbish in the bin. Clearing his throat, he sat behind the desk. "Do you think you'd like to make arrangements for your uncle's funeral now?" he asked carefully.

She instantly sobered up.

"Um….can they really change anything for the funeral?" she asked hesitantly, referring to the rest of her family.

Hiccup shook his head firmly. "No. You've already sent through the paperwork which proves you are the executor of your uncle's estate. They can sing and dance as much as they like, I'll only take my directions from you," he assured her warmly.

She nodded, deep in thought. "Thank you, I appreciate that… Yes, I'd like to do this now…before I lose my nerve," she told him with a shudder.

This was going to hurt a lot, being suddenly responsible for the final farewell of her beloved uncle, the man who had practically raised her after her parents died. He'd always been there for her, despite his own troubles, and she felt his loss acutely. It really didn't help that other relatives had stepped in, instantly condemning him over the unproven theory of his death. It almost felt like several knives stabbing her all at once, the pain was that intense.

Hiccup could see how devastated Astrid was by the whole ordeal, and he felt his heart go out to her. He wanted to do everything in his power to make sure her desire for a proper send off for her uncle was fulfilled.

He picked up the first aid kit and swapped it for the paperwork that had been abandoned in the other office. Starting with the first form, Hiccup took in a deep breath and began. They had to fill in all the data about Finn's life…his date of birth, where he lived, his occupation...questions like those.

Astrid struggled bravely through it all, but there was something so cold about recording hard data on a person's life. None of it related the kind of man her uncle was. Warm-hearted, generous to a fault and incredibly courageous. As she thought about the stories behind the facts, she found herself teary eyed.

Hiccup subtly pushed a tissue box towards her. Astrid eyed it off as if it were the enemy. She scowled and told him fiercely, "Hofferson's don't cry. We're tough and...and..."

She stopped and stared at him in horror at the realisation she wasn't going to be able to prevent it. Her eyes were wide, her lashes barely holding the tears hiding there. A single drop escaped, flowing gently down her cheek.

Her face crumpled and she burst into tears, covering her face with her hands in grief and embarrassment. Hiccup pushed the box of tissues towards her again, and she hastily grabbed a few.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled behind the tissues.

Hiccup's reaction was immediate. He had to offer her some comfort. Maintaining a professional distance was all well and good when your client had support. But Astrid had no one.

Hiccup swiftly came round the desk to sit beside her, and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. She found herself sub-consciously leaning towards his tender touch, finding this man who was practically a stranger, more caring and compassionate than her own family.

"It's okay," he said softly. "Take all the time you need. Even tough guys have to cry sometimes."

His gentle words seemed to trigger the fragile dam wall of her emotions to break once more, and the tide was not willing to be stopped. She cried harder, curling in on herself. He rubbed her back in a soothing manner, while she gulped and grabbed more tissues to wipe the unending flow of tears.

He was so close and warm that she instinctively turned her head, resting it on his shoulder.

Hiccup hesitated for only a moment before sliding his arm around her back. It surprised him how natural it felt to do that simple action. But he chose not to dwell on that, instead waiting patiently for her sobs to settle. Then, when she was wiping away the last of the wetness from her swollen eyelids, he quietly withdrew again.

He fed her more tissues, while she dabbed at her cheeks. Looking at him with red-rimmed puffy eyes, and runny nose. She felt embarrassed and a little foolish.

"I'm sorry, I don't normally fall apart like that…or hug complete strangers," she told him, her tone muted and snuffly.

Hiccup merely covered her hand with his own, and told her earnestly. "It's okay to do that here. I don't mind. Maybe…this place can be like your safety zone…the place to let loose your true feelings. And know you will never be judged."

She gazed into his caring deep green eyes, and was surprised to find herself believing him. Astrid felt a rush of appreciation for what Hiccup was offering her. Right now, her world was in complete turmoil, but she found his presence a calming force.

"Thank you...maybe I'll take you up on that," she told him quietly.

He smiled, a lop sided grin that she found mesmerizing. She took a closer look at the man in front of her, and noticed how attractive he was. Astrid didn't realise that she had been staring until Hiccup nervously cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry. Um..." she stuttered, embarrassed she had been caught.

"Yeah, that's okay. Ah...how about we finish this tomorrow?" he suggested. "You've had quite a disturbing day."

She nodded, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "That sounds like a good idea. Um...what about Uncle Finn? Is he...?"

He smiled warmly at her again. "He's here. We'll look after him for you."

"Okay." Astrid stood to leave, but first turned back to Hiccup. "Thank you," she told him sincerely.

Hiccup walked her to the front door, waving good bye until she was out of sight. Once she was gone, he turned around to distractedly walk back into the office...and found himself face to face with the rest of his crew.

" _Argh_!" He jumped backwards. "What are you all doing here?"

"What. Was. That?" asked Fishlegs, his eyes wide.

Hiccup avoided eye contact with the others, and nervously pushed past them all. "I don't know what you're talking about. She's a client having a very hard time. I'm just helping her...the same as I do with every client."

Snotlout snorted. "They don't all look like _her_."

"Yeah...and she totally fancies you," added Ruffnut.

"Just like Hiccup is keen on her," said Snotlout, leering at him.

"What? No! I'm not 'keen on her'. She's a client," Hiccup said, defending himself.

Ruffnut turned to her brother, "Classic denial. First stage."

Tuffnut nodded sagely. "So totally true, sis."

"Hiccup's got a girlfriend!" sang Snotlout.

Hiccup rounded on them all. "I don't know what you think you saw...but Astrid is a client. Nothing more. Nothing less. A client. Got it?" he told them firmly.

Ruffnut sniggered, "A client you've got the hots for."

"I. Do. Not. Date. Clients," Hiccup told them through gritted teeth. "Ever!"

He stormed off through the office, grabbing his keys as he went.

"Fish, I'll be back later."

After Hiccup had gone, Fishlegs turned to the others, "Guys...I think we had better leave him alone for this one. I think it's serious."

Snotlout laughed loudly. "And miss out on all this drama? Good one, Fishface."

The twins sniggered, following the buff man out of the office. "Yeah, good one!"

Fishlegs sighed, watching them all go. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself in for, Hiccup."

-oOo-

Hiccup arrived at work extra early the next morning. He had a lot of paperwork to get through and he wanted a head start. His first priority was to check the diary. Reading through it, he frowned. When Astrid had left the previous day, he'd failed to set another time for her to come back.

Hiccup only had enough time to pick up her uncle's file, when the phone rang.

"Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Hiccup," he said in a well-practised and polished voice.

"Good morning, Hiccup. This is Astrid," came an obviously tired feminine voice.

"Astrid! How are you?" Hiccup asked warmly. He was delighted to hear her voice again, although he wasn't prepared to admit it.

"I'm fine, thanks. I wanted to say I really appreciate what you've done for me so far. This whole event has been a lot tougher than I realised…and it's only because of you that I haven't taken an axe to something."

Hiccup was a little alarmed at this admission and made a mental note not to end up on Astrid's bad side. He struggled to keep his voice steady.

"Er…you're welcome," he said. "I'm glad I could help. Were you coming in today?" he asked, wanting to keep the funeral plans on track. None of the necessary decisions had been made yet.

"Of course," she told him, although he could hear the tremble in her voice. It only took a few moments to set a time, before Hiccup hung up and continued with his work. He was still feeling a little distracted, thinking about his blonde client, when the phone rang again.

"Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Hiccup," he said smoothly.

"Just the man I wanted to talk to," came an authoritative male voice.

Hiccup mentally cringed. It was Astrid's uncle Heff.

"Mr Hofferson. What can I do for you?" asked Hiccup politely, although it was taking a lot of effort not to grind his teeth at the man's unpleasant tone.

Heff didn't waste words. "I've spoken to Astrid last night, and she's asked me to take over the arrangements for Finn. She's not doing so well, the poor lass. This whole business has taken its toll on her."

Hiccup's brows shot upwards at the supposedly sympathetic words. The sincerity was so obviously fake, that he had to hold back a snort.

Heff continued in his brutish way, "She's given me her instructions on what she wants, so I will be in there shortly to tell you how things need to be done and to sign the forms."

Hiccup frowned deeply, knowing full well what the man was trying to do. He hadn't managed to shove the obstinate and forceful blonde warrior out of the way, so now he was trying to railroad Hiccup instead.

"Really?" asked Hiccup suspiciously.

"That's right. She wants to organize his cremation straight away…today if possible," Heff told Hiccup, who had to shake his head in shocked disbelief at the brazen attitude of this guy.

"Well….that's all very odd, considering Astrid has already signed all the forms. Plus she rang me only five minutes ago to make an appointment to finish the funeral arrangements," said Hiccup slowly, wanting to make sure the other man heard him clearly.

Heff tried to bluster his way out. "You can't listen to her. She's upset and doesn't know what she's saying. I will be in there shortly to take over."

Hiccup had to take a deep breath, so he could remain calm. "I'm very sorry Mr Hofferson, but I believe Astrid is quite capable of making the necessary decisions. Plus she has shown me the legal documents that state she is the executor to your brother's estate and has every right to plan his funeral. Your assistance will not be required."

"Not _required_?" yelled the man excruciatingly loudly. Hiccup had to pull the phone away from his ear. "I'm his _brother_ , I have every right to tell you what's required. And I demand he be cremated _today_! I will NOT stand for this shameful business to be broadcast all over the paper…."

Hiccup interrupted firmly. "I'm sorry sir, but I'll only be taking my directions from Astrid. Have a nice day."

And with that, he hung up the phone.

He had to pause for a few moments to control his anger, his eyes blazing with indignation at Heff's outrageous behaviour.

"How DARE he?" Hiccup fumed, slapping his hand on the table.

Fishlegs had walked in the door at that moment, but jumped at Hiccup's unexpected outburst.

"Yipe!"

"Oh sorry Fish. You wouldn't _believe_ the phone call I just received," he told the startled man, before promptly relating all that had been said. At the end of it, Fishlegs was so frightened, he hoped he didn't have to talk to Astrid's uncle anytime soon. He scuttled nervously over to his desk.

About an hour later, Hiccup had finally managed to settle his sense of frustration and was back at his desk completing his tasks when the phone rang. Fishlegs was in the other room, so Hiccup answered.

"Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Hiccup."

He waited expectantly, but all he heard was a 'click' as the caller hung up. Hiccup shrugged and placed the phone back in its cradle, continuing with his work. Probably a wrong number.

This happened three more times throughout the morning, and Hiccup was beginning to get suspicious as to the origin of the phone calls.

The next call that came through however, Hiccup was busy, so Fishlegs answered.

"Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Fishlegs."

"Good," came a brusque voice, making Fishlegs tremble instantly. "Finn Hofferson is my brother, and I'm not happy with that Hiccup fellow. He's doing a _terrible_ job, and isn't professional at all," Heff shouted rudely over the phone line. "I want you to be the funeral director….not him."

"I'm sorry sir, but I won't be able to take over," Fishlegs squeaked, feeling threatened and under pressure. "Astrid has already told us she's the executor, so we can only take our directions from her," he managed to stammer out.

Hiccup looked up sharply at Fishleg's words, listening closely.

"She has no right to arrange this funeral," the man roared through the earpiece at Fishleg's trembling form. Fish held the phone away from his ear and cringed.

Hiccup rose quickly from his seat, and strode over to Fishlegs with his hand out. Fishlegs gladly handed the handset over.

"All yours," he squeaked, and practically ran from the room.

"This is Hiccup Haddock here," he said firmly. "I'm afraid Astrid has every legal right to take care of her uncle's funeral. She has expressed her confidence in me as her funeral director, and I intend to carry out her wishes. As I've already told you today, all the correct documents have been completed, and Astrid has provided rock hard evidence that she is the sole executor and responsible for Finn's funeral. I would kindly suggest that you leave well enough alone, and let her be to do what she needs to do," he said, speaking strongly.

"How _dare_ you!" Heff shouted furiously. Hiccup could almost hear the other man's blood boiling, an image of the man's reddened face flashing through his mind. "You're not a funeral director! You're nothing more than a hustler, praying on people's weakest moments."

Hiccup pursed his lips in tightly controlled anger. He spoke coldly. "It would seem to me that the true 'hustler' might be yourself. This is the second time today you've tried to overrule Astrid's decisions with outright lies. I would suggest, _sir_ , that you stay away from here until the day of the funeral."

Hiccup had to hold the phone at arm's length away from his ear, to prevent his eardrums being burst from the indignant shout that was emanating from it. He decided not to waste any more of his precious time with such a horrible person and he put the phone down with a firm 'click'.

* * *

 **In the real world, (where I live anyway) a cremation cannot go ahead if there is any objection to it. But in this case, its not the cremation Heff is objecting to...its the funeral service itself. Astrid is the legally signed executor, chosen by Finn himself. So she has the legal right to organize it. Naturally, the funds are being taken from Finn's estate which is controlled by Astrid. So it's all above board. Doesn't mean Heff is going to like it though...**

 **So...whatcha think? Keep going or pull the plug (no pun intended)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all so very much for your enthusiastic response! Yes, this story will be continued. I'll do my best, but I have a heavy workload at the moment, so spare time for writing is a rarity.**

 **Just a reminder, this story is about funerals and death. I've done my best to keep it general, but I don't intend to cause conflict for anybody.**

* * *

Sometime later, Hiccup noticed Snotlout sneaking through the office, looking decidedly shifty. But because he was on the phone at the time, he couldn't find out what Snotlout was up to. By the end of the phone call a few minutes later, Hiccup had forgotten about the black haired man and resumed his work.

Till Ruff and Tuff came waltzing into the office.

"Fish, can you help us shift one of the caskets in the display room? We need it out back."

Hiccup was only half listening, but distractedly wondered which casket the twins were after, as he couldn't recall needing any.

Fishlegs followed them out of the office anyway. A heartbeat later, Hiccup's head snapped up and he rapidly shot out of his chair to follow the trio. He had almost made it to the display room when he heard Fishleg's voice. "Why is that casket closed? It's supposed to be open."

"Don't do it, Fish," breathed out Hiccup, hoping he wouldn't be late.

But he was.

"RAAAHHH!" came a well-known voice.

"ARRGGHH!" screamed Fishlegs in terror, jumping his large frame backwards and stumbling against the cackling twins, his hand clutched over his heart in fear.

Hiccup strode in, to find Snotlout lying in the half opened casket that Fishlegs had innocently lifted the lid on, laughing evilly at the distress he had caused his big friend.

"Snotlout!" yelled Hiccup. "Get out of there! You should know better than that," he admonished him.

Snotlout wiped a joyful tear from his eye. "Yeah, I do know….that Fishlegs is easy, and that joke never gets old."

The twins made a show of dusting down Fishlegs and righting him so that he could leave with dignity. Sort of.

Hiccup fumed, although he had to fight to pull the corner of his lip down. "Just get out, please? I don't want you damaging the casket."

He turned to leave, and Snotlout grumbled, "Yeah, yeah. Always have to rain on my parade." Snotlout tried, but couldn't angle it right to reach the small release handle to open the rest of the lid.

"Uh…guys? A little help here?" he asked of the twins, who were busy laughing and high-fiving each other.

"Ngh…get yourself out," said Tuffnut with an uninterested shrug. He turned away with his sister, leaving Snotlout stranded in the half opened casket.

"Maybe we should bury him while we can," suggested Ruffnut as they walked away.

"No! Please don't bury me," begged Snotlout loudly, his hands clasped together.

"Nuh…costs too much," said Tuffnut.

"Oh thank you," breathed Snot in relief.

"We should cremate him instead….much cheaper," came Tuff's next offer.

"Hey!" shouted Snotlout in indignation. "I deserve the most expensive funeral there is," he protested loudly. "I demand a burial."

But nobody was listening. He lay fuming with his arms crossed…till he realised he still had to get out. He strained to reach the lever, but found he still couldn't quite manipulate it. He only had one option left…crawling out in a most undignified manner. He grunted and fell to the floor with a thump. Sitting up, he muttered to himself. "Well that would have been embarrassing. Good thing nobody saw it."

"Say cheese!" said a highly entertained Tuffnut, his mobile phone poking around the corner where he had been hiding and secretly filming the whole ordeal.

"TUFF!" roared Snotlout, springing to his feet with his cheeks flaming red. "GIMME THAT PHONE! I'M GOING TO DESTROY IT," he shouted at the top of his voice. But Tuffnut had already sprinted off, laughing his head off.

-oOo-

That afternoon, Hiccup was expecting Astrid back to finish off the arrangements. He found himself keenly awaiting her arrival, which dismayed him. He didn't want to develop feelings for a client. It had never ended well before.

He was debating whether to hand this funeral over to Fishlegs, but before he got too far with those thoughts, he saw Astrid coming towards the front doors. And by her expression, she was not happy.

He opened the door to welcome her in, and as soon as she soon him, a very palpable relief washed over her features. This worried Hiccup. What had happened?

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern, directing her towards the arrangement room. She walked in, and he partially closed the door behind them.

"No...no I'm not," she said. Her features were tight with suppressed rage.

Hiccup pulled out a chair for her, and waited while she sat. He then took a chair opposite, his brows drawn as he focused his attention on her.

"Do you want to tell me?" he asked gently.

Astrid struggled to compose herself enough to answer his question.

"Do you know what those lousy ...sons of half-trolls...did?" she started, getting up and angrily pacing across the room. "They tried to break into Uncle Finn's house!"

Hiccup was surprised. Although he guessed he probably shouldn't have. He'd heard similar stories before, although not usually quite so brazenly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Uncle Finn's neighbor called me this morning, saying that all the alarms were going off at his house...Uncle Finn worked for a security company. You can bet his house is fully secured," she added with a smirk. "Something that lot obviously didn't think about," she spat out in disgust.

"What did you do?" Hiccup asked.

"I went round there and confronted them. I asked them what they were doing there, and they tried to feed me some lame story about needing to get the house sorted. But I know what they were really doing…trying to find anything of value so they could sell it and keep the money."

She stopped her pacing and was obviously struggling to keep herself under control. "Those scumbags! Uncle Finn's body hasn't even had time to go cold and they're still trying to rip him off!" she raged.

Hiccup tried to keep his expression neutral, but he couldn't help but feel rising anger towards the cold-hearted and greedy attitude of Astrid's family. It was clear Astrid genuinely loved her Uncle Finn, but it seemed that the poor man had suffered a lot of opposition in his life…which hadn't stopped after his death. Only now Astrid was left to deal with it all.

"Do you need any help with them?" he asked, mentally thinking if he could get away with discretely sending the twins around to create a little havoc.

Astrid gave him an appreciative smile, her anger abating a little at his offer. "No, thank you. I told them if they didn't leave I would have them arrested for trespassing and stealing. I have Uncle Finn's will and he was very explicit in what he wanted done with all his belongings. I think he knew they would cause problems if he died."

Her face started to crumple, and Hiccup gently pushed the tissue box towards her.

"Thank you," she said, her voice beginning to wobble as she sat down. "You've been so kind to me. You must think I'm a total loser to keep falling apart like this." She stopped to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

"No, of course I don't. It's perfectly natural to swing through so many emotions. Especially with the amount of conflict that's happening at the moment," he said to her.

"Conflict!" She gave a harsh laugh. "More like out and out war! They haven't given me a moment's peace the entire time. 'Hurry up and cremate him, Astrid'. 'He doesn't need a funeral, Astrid.' 'Give me the keys to the house, Astrid.'" she mocked. "And when I said there were actually people who cared about Uncle Finn and wanted to attend a proper send off, then they started demanding that the funeral be done their way."

She sat down and reached for another tissue.

Hiccup spoke up. "Please be reassured Astrid. We'll work through this together, so that you can put together the most appropriate funeral for your Uncle. Whatever you want, we'll do."

Astrid was touched by his sincerity. She could see that he genuinely cared, which amazed her because Hiccup had never known her Uncle. But he had already shown her more compassion than her own flesh and blood. The way he spoke and held himself, made her feel more sure in what she needed to do. He gave her the confidence that perhaps she could do this, despite breaking down.

It made her feel a little disconcerted that she had cried in front of him…twice now. It didn't matter to her that death was a sad event, Astrid had always felt that she was tougher than that. Turned out she wasn't. But Hiccup hadn't made her feel embarrassed over it, and it only made her warm up to him. It was ridiculous she felt so at ease with someone she had only just met, but Astrid assumed that it was his job to make people feel relaxed. He was obviously very good at it.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. So, er...what do we do now?" she asked uncertainly. Astrid had been young when her own parents had died and Uncle Finn had taken her in. She vaguely recalled being asked questions about her choices for the funeral, but she had been in so much shock at the time, none of it had sunk in.

And now she was responsible for her uncle's funeral. Astrid had no idea where to start, her only hope was that the green eyed man in front of her would guide her through.

Hiccup pulled out some catalogues to place in front of her. "We need to make some choices about how you want the funeral to proceed," he told her gently, his sympathy for her clearly evident in the way he looked at her.

"For example, these are the cremation coffins we have available. You could choose from here...or perhaps you'd like to visit our display room instead?" he said calmly.

She smirked, despite herself. "I suppose that's where someone hides and jumps out to scare people half to death?" she half joked.

Hiccup blinked hard. "You have no idea," he muttered under his breath.

"Sorry?"

"Um...well, funny you should mention that. My staff and I were just discussing that very topic earlier on today," he said with a guilty grin, but trying to look believable as he 'bent' the truth a little.

"We thought that it would be a very unprofessional thing to do."

A snort could be heard from outside the room. Hiccup tried hard not to frown, instead keeping on a bright smile.

Astrid was skeptical. "You mean to tell me you have all these coffins here...and nobody has tried to trick you?"

Hiccup bit his tongue. "Not to me, no," he told her, hoping she would believe his half-truth. "Anyway, would you like to see them?" he asked quickly to deter any more questions.

"Er, sure...I guess," she hesitated, not keen on this idea at all. How did one choose a coffin?

Hiccup escorted her to the coffin display room, and Astrid was immediately overwhelmed by the number of choices.

"Am I supposed to find which one has the best sea views?" she joked nervously. "Or is this like the new 'tiny apartment' range?"

He shot a quick grin towards her. "One size fits all, perhaps?"

She chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood.

"Seriously though, most people seem to find one based on colour or style. Some families make choices based on cost," he told her.

Even as he was talking, her eyes were drawn to a simple coffin with a little gold scrolling around the edge. It was an earthy kind of colour, and somehow it reminded Astrid of her uncle. "That one," she told Hiccup.

He nodded, scribbling himself a note. "Shall we go back now?" he asked, as soon as he had finished. "One decision done, ninety-nine more to go."

"Really? That many?" asked Astrid in consternation. She seemed a little shaken at this news. Hiccup guided her towards the arrangement room to regain their seats.

"Not really. It's more like ninety-five," he told her lightly.

She smiled appreciatively at his efforts to keep her head above water. For she felt she might just go under and drown in a sea of multiple decisions, bad relatives, insurance companies, and her own grief. Not to mention that she still didn't know what had actually happened to cause her uncle's death. Right now, Hiccup was her only link to staying afloat. But Astrid was determined to show them all that she could do this. For Uncle Finn.

Sitting down, she took in a deep breath. "Okay then, what's next?" she asked.

"What about flowers?" Hiccup asked, checking his file.

"What about them?" asked Astrid.

"Er…do you want some?" Hiccup asked, his eyes still on his paperwork.

Astrid sucked in her breath at the question, having totally misunderstood what he was asking. She stared at Hiccup in shock.

Hiccup looked up to see her looking at him with doubt, and he rapidly realised what she was thinking. His eyes opened wide, "Um...I meant for the coffin. Do you want to put flowers on your uncle's coffin," he stammered.

"Oh!" she blushed at the error. "Is it compulsory?"

Hiccup shook his head, trying to regain control over himself. His heart had lurched at the idea of giving her flowers. "No. Although most people do. As a sign of respect."

She wrinkled her nose at the idea. "Well, he really wasn't a flower kind of guy," she finally said.

"Okay…what about other plants? Was there something else he liked? Maybe we could use that instead?" Hiccup asked, tapping his pen nervously on the table.

"He did grow a lot of cactus," said Astrid with a thoughtful frown.

Hiccup blinked.

"Cactus," he said flatly.

"Yeah, and bromeliads…the spiky ones. In fact, he grew a lot of spiky plants. He hated gardening, but he hated mowing grass more. So he filled up the gardens with spiky plants and replaced the lawn with gravel. Said it was his security system," she told Hiccup with a fond grin as she remembered the quirks of her uncle's nature.

"Security? Why didn't he get a dog?" Hiccup asked.

"He was allergic to them," she said.

"Okaaay. Moving on from flowers then. What hobbies did he have?" Hiccup asked, crossing flowers off his list.

"Fishing. He loved to fish. I would often go with him," said Astrid wistfully, her gaze far away as she remembered good times she had spent while casting a line with her uncle.

Hiccup watched her face soften while she recollected happy memories, and thought to himself how beautiful she was when she was unguarded in her emotions. He found himself studying her features and the way the corner of her lip tilted just so in such a mesmerizing curve. If he brushed his hand along her cheek, that curve would run right up to her bright blue eyes.

Hiccup blinked, horrified at where his thoughts had just taken him. His heart was beating so hard, he was sure that Astrid would hear it. But she was giving him a relaxed smile, oblivious to his distress. He cleared his throat.

"Um, so do you want to bring a fishing rod instead of flowers?" he asked, sure she would see straight through his sudden nervousness.

Instead she nodded thoughtfully. "That actually would be a really good idea. I could bring his fishing hat too, the one he kept all his hooks and lures attached to."

Hiccup picked up his pen. "Okay then, fishing rod and hat…no flowers," he said, noting this information on the form.

Astrid pushed out a nervous breath. "See? I can do this. It's not so hard," she muttered to herself.

Hiccup glanced over, noticing for the first time how pale she was. He immediately chided himself for being more worried over his own thoughts, then hers. Here he was, practically making a fool of himself over the beautiful woman in front of him, whereas she wasn't thinking of him at all. She was much more taken up with the foreign concept of arranging a funeral for her loved one.

Hiccup swallowed, determined to get a grip on his own wayward thoughts and focus all his attention on his _client_ instead.

"You're doing a great job so far," he told her gently, meeting her startled blue eyes. She hadn't realised she'd said those words out loud.

"Oh, sorry," she muttered in embarrassment, her cheeks heating up.

"Don't be. How about we discuss some of the other items…like music choices or a slideshow," he offered.

Astrid frowned as she thought about it. "Well, I know Uncle Finn liked his rock and roll…but we can't use any of that for a funeral, can we?" she asked uncertainly, thinking of the upbeat music her uncle favored. Astrid hadn't been to many funerals, but she was pretty sure that wasn't the kind of music people tended to play.

Hiccup smiled. "Why not? A funeral is your way of remembering your uncle, which includes his favourite music. If it brings you comfort, I see nothing wrong with putting on something that brings back pleasant memories."

She glanced at him, still hesitant.

Hiccup saw this and offered a compromise. "What if we play the more 'exciting' music at the end when everybody's leaving, and choose a more sedate song for the beginning?"

Astrid let out a grateful breath. "The sounds better. I can do that. I'll search through his collection tonight and find something."

Hiccup nodded and wrote a short note. "Sure. Now, what about a slideshow? Would you like one?"

Astrid thought about this. Her uncle hadn't been a willing subject whenever she took photos, but she did have some. Memories flashed through her mind as she recalled shared moments captured forever on film. Her eyes filled and she had to hastily wipe away a stray tear. Reliving those times with the people he cared about held a lot of appeal, even if she knew it was going to be painful to watch. She nodded.

"That would be really nice. I would like that," she told Hiccup softly, giving him a tremulous half smile.

Hiccup watched her in concern, seeing her struggle. It broke his heart, seeing her like this. He really wished he could find a way to comfort and reassure her, but he didn't know how to do that beyond his usual funeral director routine. Sure, he'd met with a lot of grieving people...even cried with a few…but somehow this particular woman had gotten under his skin in a way that nobody else had.

Maybe it was the way she had so bravely taken on a huge task single-handedly, despite her own roller coaster emotions and the immense pressure her so-called family had placed on her that had impressed him. He only knew he had never met anybody like her.

He ignored any other possible reasons for his sense of attachment to her, telling himself that he was acting the way any reasonable funeral director would behave. The client always came first, his father used to tell him. Well, Hiccup was putting his client first.

"Okay. When you've found the pictures you want to use, bring them in," he told her with a gentle smile.

She nodded in agreement.

"Next question…did you have a time and date decided on for the service?" Hiccup asked her next, his tone professional and brisk while checking his notes.

Astrid hesitated, then shook her head. "No, not yet," she admitted, feeling a little ashamed.

"That's okay. It's good to have it sorted, but there is plenty of time for that. I'm guessing you would like to check with your uncle's friends first?" he asked, with an inquisitive raise of his brow.

"Yes. Is that okay?" she asked, biting her bottom lip in worry. It seemed the most obvious thing to have done first…after all, how do you plan a funeral without a date? But she had been receiving messages of condolences and support from a lot of her uncle's friends and work mates, and they had all expressed the desire to attend his final gathering. Finn's employer had also wanted to be a part of the ceremony and she had yet to meet up with them to work out the finer details.

Hiccup smiled again. "That's perfectly fine…and quite common," he told her reassuringly.

"Oh good," she said, her breath leaving her in an appreciative rush. That point had been bugging her, making her feel as if she had failed. But the way he had responded so matter-of-factly, made her anxiety settle. Yet again, he had come to her rescue with his calm and stabilizing manner. This task had become more arduous than she realized, and it was only the thought of Hiccup guiding her through that made it all a little easier.

He was writing in his notes, and Astrid surreptitiously watched him through her fringe. He was easy on the eye, that much she'd already noticed. Plus when she'd told a few of her friends about him, some had immediately launched into enthusiastic gushing of how kind he was when he had helped them, and how professional he was. Which was all very reassuring…till they'd also gone into detail about what they would do to him if they got him into bed. She'd blushed for hours afterwards, whenever she recalled their words. Even now, she could feel the heat rising up her cheeks.

He looked up with a smile, but faltered.

"Are you okay?" he asked, frowning in concern.

Astrid was mortified. If he knew where her thoughts were right now, he'd probably run screaming in the other direction. Or worse still, shuffle her off to another funeral director. And she really needed him to help her get through Finn's arrangements.

"Um, yes. Lack of sleep I suppose," she mumbled.

He gave a short nod in acceptance, leaving Astrid to give a silent sigh in relief that he hadn't questioned her further.

He sat back in his chair, his gaze purely professional. "May I ask when you'll know?"

She frowned, the reality of the situation forcing those other thoughts out of her mind. "I'll be meeting with Finn's employers this afternoon. So I should know then. Can I give you a call once we've come up with something?"

He smiled warmly. "That would be great. Once we have that, I can confirm everything else."

The way his lips curled created a flutter in her chest, and she couldn't help but stare for a moment. When he spoke again, she abruptly realised what she was doing, and tore her eyes away to stare at her hands instead.

"Astrid?" he asked, and she jolted, looking up to see his concerned frown.

"Sorry, faded away for a moment there," she lied.

"That's okay. I was wondering if you would be able to bring those photos in tomorrow?" he asked again, his eyes glittering with humor at having caught her out.

She nodded sheepishly. "How about in the afternoon? I can bring the music in too."

He chuckled, grinning easily. "That would be fine. I look forward to seeing you then," he told her, beginning to rise from his chair as their appointment concluded.

She took her cue, and picked up her purse. He stood behind her and pulled out her chair as she stood.

"Thank you," she told him, once she was fully standing again. She took in a deep breath and looked him squarely in the eye. "I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your help. Especially with….you know," she ended with a scowl, obviously referring to her relatives.

"It's been a pleasure," he reassured her, stretching out his hand palm up to her. She responded by placing her smaller hand in his, and he covered it with his own. To Astrid, this simple action was almost as fulfilling as a hug, causing her to sigh again.

"Till tomorrow," she promised. Hiccup escorted her to the front door, waving goodbye when she turned once more before leaving for good.

Hiccup had to fight the longing to keep staring after her, knowing he was probably being watched as well. His friends were already on his case about her and he didn't want to feed the fire, so he deliberately turned back to collect his notes, then head for the office.

For some reason, he was in luck this time. Only Fishlegs was there, already talking on the phone. Although he did give Hiccup a questioning look. Hiccup wondered if he had something on his face so he scrubbed it just in case. Finding nothing, he shrugged and walked to his desk. He had plenty to do.

-oOo-

Hiccup was on the phone, talking with another client, when an almighty BANG rattled through the building.

He jolted in his seat, before hastily ending his call and hanging up. Rushing out to the cremator room, he met Snotlout and the twins doing the same thing.

"What was that?" he immediately demanded to know, even as he eyed off a thin wisp of grey smoke already curling out from the edges of the very thick metallic cremator door.

Ruffnut didn't appear phased at all.

"Oh, I think we may have forgotten to take out the bottle of aftershave for Mr Jones," she informed them casually. Tuffnut stood beside her, equally nonplussed by the whole event.

"WHAT?" shrieked Snotlout. "Are you trying to destroy my precious cremator?" he yelled, his thick brows pulled together in annoyed frustration.

Ruffnut gave a non-committal shrug, while Tuffnut grinned. Hiccup rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Nah...that was just a small pop. If you want the ground to move, try cremating a pacemaker. Those suckers really make a serious ka-boom!" Tuff responded.

"Yeah," added Ruffnut eagerly. "And if we're really lucky, the door might come flying off."

Hiccup began having all kinds of nasty visions, involving heavy cremator doors blasting backwards and taking out one of his staff in the process.

Tuffnut rubbed his hands in anticipation and Hiccup could see the cogs turning already. He turned towards the twins, determined to nip any destructive ideas in the bud.

"Before you start...N... O... NO! I do not want any damage to the cremator, the building...or the people in them...thank you for your close attention," he said firmly.

He marched off, but still heard Tuff mutter to his sister, "But what about the fireworks we were going to test out later?"

"NO-NO-NO-NOOOOO," yelled Hiccup from the office. They heard some banging going on in there. "Three generations this place has stood here. THREE! I don't want it to go out with a bang just yet," he complained loudly.

Tuff grinned. "So will you tell us when you do?" he asked loudly, cupping his hand around his mouth to make his voice carry through the door.

"NO!" was the shouted response.

Ruff shrugged. "I guess that means no. Hiccup is no fun," she said with a disappointed huff.

Tuff's face fell for a moment, then lit up as a thought came to him. "Hey, sis...you wanna hide all Snot's tools again?"

Ruff gave a huge calculating grin that could only mean trouble. "Yeah...let's go," she said, before striding out of the room, Tuff hot on her heels.

"Hey!" objected Snotlout, chasing after them. "I haven't found them all from last time. Come back here!" he demanded, his voice echoing as he disappeared down the hallway.

In the office, Hiccup could only shake his head in resigned acceptance. At least life around here was never boring…..

* * *

 **Before you ask, yes, aftershave bottles with a pressurized lid can explode in cremators. Don't ask how I know. They are not dangerous, but sure can make an impression. And pacemakers are routinely removed before cremation for safety reasons. Please don't try any of this at home…I don't recommend it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry for the lengthy delays. That's just how things are at the moment, and I can't change it. Thank you to all who have decided to stick with this story.**

 **Just a warning, this chapter is very much about arranging a funeral. This is the sole reason for Hiccup and Astrid getting to know each other, so without it, there is no story. So read with caution if you think this might be a trigger for you.**

* * *

Hiccup was just exiting the mortuary early the next morning, when Snotlout arrived at the funeral home to start work. The black haired man had barely entered through the side door entrance before he began to grumble.

"How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep if I have to start work so early," he complained, giving Hiccup a side glance as he walked in.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Why don't you try going to bed earlier," he suggested with a long suffering sigh.

Snotlout scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can't do that, I would miss out on my favourite netflix shows," he said, objecting to the sensible advice given. "Unlike you, I actually have a life," he added with a small smirk.

Hiccup could only give him a dry look, annoyed at the dig.

"Well, why don't you start two hours later, then finish an hour earlier each day. Would that satisfy your beauty sleep needs?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Snotlout blinked at him, surprised at the suggestion. "You'd do that for me?" he asked hopefully, as the twins and Fishlegs came in through the side entrance behind him.

"No," was Hiccup's flat response.

Ruff cackled. "Shot down in flames, Snotty."

Snotlout scowled. "Shut up, Ruff."

Fishlegs gave Hiccup a sympathetic look. "Early start this morning?" he asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. Had a call from the nursing home at six a.m. Mr Edwards passed away last night."

Snotlout perked up at this news. He gave a sly grin. "Did you ask out any of the hot nurses?" he wanted to know.

Hiccup frowned in irritation, but before he could respond, Ruff broke in.

"Why would he do that? He's already got a girlfriend."

Tuff laughed. "Yeah...Astrid."

Hiccup immediately blushed.

Ruff pointed at him, and shouted, "Beetroot! He turned beetroot."

Snotlout pouted. "Aw man...I didn't get a chance to pick a colour."

Hiccup's narrowed gaze swept across all of them. "Don't you lot have work to do?" he asked, before deliberately turning away and stalking off towards the office.

Snotlout turned on the twins. "You can't go saying 'Astrid' around the boss without a warning," he scolded them. "You wasted a perfectly good 'blush-o-meter' opportunity."

Ruff shrugged, and her twin appeared equally unperturbed.

"You were going to lose anyway," she told him, before heading towards the mortuary to begin her day.

Tuff followed her and Fishlegs also turned to leave.

"Was not," grumbled Snotlout grumbled petulantly, his arms crossed over his chest.

Unfortunately for him, nobody cared and he was left standing in the hallway on his own.

"I'll just go and start cremating then," he said defensively to nobody in particular. "Cause that's what I do...cremate."

He waited for a moment, but there was no response. So he decided to give up and leave too.

-oOo-

About an hour later, Hiccup glanced over as Snotlout casually strolled in to the office, his thumbs hooked into his waistband. He stood before Fishlegs but said nothing.

The big man looked up from his work, uncertainty showing on his round face at the stocky man's actions.

"Uh…do you want something?" he asked timidly.

"Yeah…I'd like to work at the cemetery," said Snotlout.

Fishlegs was confused. "The cemetery? Why would you like to work there?"

"Because I'd have 500 men under me," Snotlout replied with a straight face.

Hiccup snorted.

Snotlout grinned, "And I'd be in the _dead_ centre of town."

He paused.

"But I heard business is _down_ at the moment."

Fishlegs groaned, rolling his eyes at the terrible puns.

The jokester in question cracked up laughing.

"Your face is priceless! Why would I leave here, when I can torment you?" he asked, still laughing as he walked out the door.

Fishlegs could only hang his head in defeat.

"Never mind, Fish," sympathized Hiccup. "There's only so many jokes he can do. It has to end at some point."

"Hopefully with _his_ end," grumbled the big man.

Hiccup laughed, shaking his head before resuming his work. Although he couldn't help the small snigger as he recalled Snot's words.

-oOo-

Not long after that, Hiccup was alone in the office, all the others elsewhere on various jobs for the moment. He heard the front door open, and stood up from his desk to see who it was. His heart sank a little when he saw Tessa standing at the counter. Although the cloud of perfume that wafted in before her, should have warned him.

He coughed discreetly.

"Astrid asked me to bring in some photos for the slideshow," she told him brightly. Hiccup doubted this very much but said nothing. Her painted on eyebrows seemed to be placed a little too high, giving her a slightly surprised look. Hiccup had to fight hard not to stare.

She dropped a pile of photos on the counter with a flourish, giving a high pitched girlish giggle which felt out of place on her ample frame.

"I picked out all the ones that showed my best side," she told him, flashing her left cheek towards Hiccup and pouting with her over blown botoxed lips. "See?"

Hiccup felt bile rising up his throat at the sight, and he had to swallow hard to push it back down and suppress a shudder.

Instead, he nodded politely and picked up the pile. Flicking through them, he was met with photo after photo of Tessa and her son in various poses. Not a single one showed Finn.

"I'm sorry, these photos seem to be of you and your son,...not of Finn," he told her.

"Well of course they are, sugar. Who do you think was taking the photos?" Tessa told him with a wide smile, designed to show off her whitened teeth.

"Do you have any of Finn?" Hiccup asked, his brow raised. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Oh no. Finn always preferred to take photos of me," she replied, plumping up her curls with one hand.

"Okay then. Maybe I'll wait to see what Astrid brings in," Hiccup told her, trying to hand the self-portraits back.

She didn't take them, instead she closed her manicured fingers over his hand and pushed them back.

"You keep those, honey. I have plenty," she told him with a sultry purr and a wink.

Her hand lingered over his, and Hiccup was horrified to find her blinking rapidly at him in a flirtatious manner.

Hiccup was stuck between two unpleasant scenarios. The more he tried to give the photos back, the longer her hand stayed wrapped over his. But if he tugged his hand back, he would be forced to take the photos with him. Neither option was great, but he went with the lesser evil. He tugged his hand back along with the narcissistic photos.

"Uh...thank you for taking the time to bring these out. I'll let you go now, I'm sure you're very busy," he told her, hoping she would take the hint and leave. His hand was twitching and he had an insane desire to scrub it clean.

"Oh no, honey," she said, coming behind the counter and plopping herself down into Fishlegs chair. "I have a lot of time for you. Say, you sure are handsome, aren't you. Are you married?" she asked suddenly, making Hiccup blush.

"Um, no, no I'm not," he answered, beginning to stammer with her forwardness and wishing desperately for anybody to walk in right now and rescue him. Plus her perfume was making him dizzy.

She scanned around the office, scrutinizing it. Hiccup could almost hear the gears churning behind that dyed hair do. "You must make a lot of money, here. I mean, people are popping off all the time, needing expensive funerals. Am I right?"

Hiccup was becoming quite irritated with the woman's abrasive and uncaring attitude. Her intentions were so transparent it was laughable. Well, it would be if a slice of Hiccup wasn't on her menu right now. He needed to get rid of her, but he baulked at throwing her out.

His teeth were gritted but he fought to stay polite. "A Funeral Home is an expensive business to run. I'm sorry, but I must say goodbye. I have another appointment shortly," he said, giving the biggest hint he could and waiting expectantly for her to take it.

Unfortunately, she didn't. "That's all right, sugar. I can keep myself amused right here till you come back," she told him, nestling into Fishleg's chair to make herself more comfortable. She heaved her oversize purse onto her lap and rummaged through it, pulling out a smaller bag. She then proceeded to empty its contents onto the desk, tipping nail polish and fake fingernail paraphernalia all over Fishleg's paperwork.

She opened a bottle of nail polish and Hiccup nearly reeled backwards when his nasal cavities were assaulted by the overpowering smell. She didn't seem to have any care or concern over where the liquid was going, and Hiccup was nearly apoplectic with visions of red polish spilling over important papers.

"Er...Fishlegs paperwork is on that table," he began, shifting the papers and hoping to prompt her to move on.

She gave him a red lipsticked grin. "That's okay, honey. I've worked in worse places."

Hiccup blinked, taken aback. Just when he was beginning to think he was going to have to resort to rudeness, he was given a reprieve. Snotlout walked into the office to return the van key.

"Hey Hiccup, I picked up...woah, er I didn't realise you had a guest," the black haired man said, his brows raising high when he spotted a client where clients had never been before.

"I don't. This is Tessa, part of Finn Hofferson's family," Hiccup forced out.

"Widow, honey. Needing to be comforted by a rich man," she pouted.

Hiccup nearly threw up at her attempt to give him a beguiling smile. Turning his back to her, Hiccup opened his eyes wide in a 'help-me' message to Snotlout.

Snotlout watched Hiccup performing confusing facial athletics. He wasn't sure if Hiccup was sending a message in face code, or if he was in the middle of a seizure. But when Hiccup tilted his chin towards the front door, Snotlout's dim expression brightened. Hiccup gave an inaudible sigh, hoping the buff man had finally received his message.

"Hey, sweet lips. I bet you never seen guns like these before," he said to the woman suggestively, pumping his biceps. "How about you come over here in the light to get the full affect," he told her, pointing towards the front door.

She looked up from her nails. "Do you have money?" she asked shrewdly.

"Sure, I do. I'm loaded thanks to a rich uncle. Plus my cousin is giving me half his business," he lied smoothly, causing the woman to smile and pack up her equipment.

"What kind of business, honey?" she asked, fluttering her lashes at him as she walked around the desk to him.

"Oh, it's a good one…everybody is _dying_ to get into it," replied Snotlout, shooting Hiccup a 'you-owe-me-one' look as he led the woman outside the building. Hiccup was happy to take it, sighing deeply in relief once she had gone. Although he had to face palm at the joke. He quickly tidied up the desk area in case she came back, before finding an envelope for the photos she had given him. He'd show them to Astrid later on.

-oOo-

Hiccup was still madly waving the office door, the ceiling fan turned to hurricane speed in an attempt to remove the strong odours left over from Tessa, when Snotlout sauntered back in through the front door.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a raised brow. His boss was known to be a little eccentric on occasion, and it wasn't always obvious to him why he did what he did.

"Removing the stench of gold-diggery," muttered Hiccup, still flapping the door.

Snotlout sniffed cautiously. "All I can smell is nail polish and cheap perfume," he said in slight confusion.

"That's the one," said Hiccup, stopping what he was doing to reduce the fan speed.

Snotlout still didn't understand, but didn't really care anymore, so he shrugged. "Whatever."

"So where's the future 'Mrs Lout' now?" asked Hiccup, straightening his tie and sitting back at his desk to resume his work.

Snotlout beamed proudly. "She's waiting for me down at the café. I told her I'd come after I finished with my important business meeting. Cool, huh?" He was practically jigging on the spot in his excitement. "It's all part of my plan for seeing three woman at once."

Hiccup raised his brows high at this one, but before he could say anything, Snotlout was already spilling his 'masterful' blue print plan.

"You see…I tell lady 'A' that I have an important meeting, while I go see lady 'B'. Then I tell lady 'B' that I have an important meeting while I go see lady 'C'. Then I tell _her_ that I have an important client while I go back to lady 'A'. I tell you, it's foolproof," he gloated.

Ruff strolled in, Tuff right behind her. "Oh there's a fool in it alright, I have proof of that," she cackled, fist bumping her brother.

Snotlout scowled at the twins, crossing his arms in irritation. "Do not," he huffed.

"Do so. You'd have to _find_ three woman who actually want anything to do with you first… at the _same time_. You can barely find _one_."

"Shut up Ruff," he growled, before turning on his heel and leaving while he still had some dignity.

Tuff scratched his head in confusion. "Why would Snot want to date more than one woman?"

Ruff was quick to answer. "Cause he's an idiot."

Tuff shrugged. "Can't argue with that."

Hiccup sighed and shook his head. He was only grateful that the _one_ woman Snotlout had attracted, was no longer contaminating his office space with her overpowering cosmetics counter.

-oOo-

That afternoon, Hiccup was feeling a lot less grateful. In fact, he was trying very hard to stay patient. He had to take several deep breaths, but he couldn't quite suck in enough air to quell the rising frustration... or the raging urge he had to lift up his hands with his fingers curled into claws...and strangle the life out of Snotlout.

The black haired man himself was leaning one elbow on the counter as if he had all the time in the world to goof off, while boasting to his boss.

"You should totally come out with me tonight. You can be my wing man. When the girls see you looking so pathetic they'll skip right past you and see gorgeous me. I'll head for..."

"...the chapel, where you are supposed to be cleaning windows right now," finished Hiccup firmly.

Snotlout paused with his mouth open mid-sentence, giving the leaner man an uninterested glare. "Whatever...what I was _trying_ to say was that I'll..."

Hiccup broke in again with his 'boss' voice. "Snotlout, stop bugging me and go do your job. Alright? Astrid will be here soon and I need to be prepared."

Snotlout gave a sly grin as he glanced out through the glass panel in the front door. "Okaaay. Speaking of Astrid, here comes your girlfriend right now, and she's looking devastatingly beautiful as usual. Maybe I'll go spread some of the Snotlout charm on her so she can see what a loser you are."

"What? No...you can't go...and she's NOT my girlfriend! Why do you keep insisting on calling her that?" frowned Hiccup, leaning discreetly sideways so he could see around the black haired blockage to verify if the information Snotlout had supplied was true.

It was.

Snotlout gave a loud obnoxious laugh, his eyes lighting up with the chance of a little mischief. "Haha haaaa...you so totally got the hots for the blonde babe. Hiccup's got a girlfriend, Hiccup's got a girlfriend," he began to singsong.

Hiccup growled, his teeth grinding together. "I don't date clients. Now can you please leave before she gets here?" He could see Astrid was already halfway to the office and closing in fast. Hiccup really needed to get rid of the shorter guy.

Snotlout snorted, and cupped his hand around his mouth. "Hey Astrid!" he began to yell towards the closed door.

Hiccup immediately smacked a hand over the other man's mouth, much to the instant disgust of them both. Snotlout spat him off.

"Whatcha do that for?" he demanded.

Hiccup wiped his hand on his trousers, his face screwed up in revulsion. He glanced out the glass panel, and saw that Astrid was almost to the door. He began to panic and tried to shove Snotlout out of the office before the black haired man could embarrass him further, but Snotlout fought back.

"Stop that!"

"You stop that," Hiccup hissed, the two shoving each other like kids in a playground.

The door opened, and Hiccup immediately let go of Snotlout to quickly straighten out his clothes. Snotlout stumbled slightly, then grinned.

"Hey, Hiccup. You're girlfriend's here," he muttered snidely.

Hiccup could only shoot him a warning frown, while Snotlout laughed obnoxiously before finally leaving the office.

Hiccup ignored him and approached Astrid with a welcoming smile. She hesitated.

"Have I come at a bad time?"

Hiccup made a mental note to kick Snotlout's butt later, hoping his blonde client had not heard the inappropriate comment. He really didn't need that kind of complication right now.

He shook his head. "No. That was just an employee who should remain behind the scenes."

Hiccup _really_ wanted to growl at Snotlout, but couldn't. So he plastered a smile on his face instead.

"Oh," said Astrid, her voice wavering a little with indecision.

He waved her towards the arrangement room. "It's okay, I promise you. Snotlout thinks it's funny to annoy me occasionally. He believe he's some kind of jokester."

Astrid gave a small smile. "Like that, huh?

"Yes, unfortunately," he replied, giving her a genuinely warm smile while he held the seat out for her. "It doesn't always work out for him, so there's that to look forward to."

She snorted, then giggled. Hiccup grinned. She had an appealing laugh, and despite the gravity of the situation they were in, the lyrical sound lit something inside him. A warm sensation spread across his chest.

Once Astrid was settled, Hiccup went to sit opposite her. Before he did, however, he remembered something.

"Oh, hold on a moment," he said, straightening up to walk back to the office. He collected an envelope, then returned, handing it to Astrid.

"Tessa came in earlier with these photos for the slide show," he told her cautiously. "Would you like to check them over?"

Astrid was surprised at this information because she couldn't recall asking for any. She had only mentioned to Heff last night that she had planned to have a slideshow, for the sole purpose of aggravating him. She knew he would probably pop a nose vein at the idea of broadcasting Finn's 'uncouth' lifestyle to the public. And predictably, he had.

He had yelled at her for a good half hour, telling her to stop this nonsense immediately. He had even told her it was " _bad enough you are going through this farce of a funeral. Now you have to actually show everybody what type of a man he was?_ " After that she had watched, half fascinated with just how purple his face could become while he ranted about her ruining the family name.

Which of course she had responded to with a snarl, " _Don't come if you're so concerned over losing face. Stay right away from me and Uncle Finn's funeral. We'll all be much happier without you."_

She thought Heff might feint from pure rage right there and then. Instead, his voice had upped a few decibels while he tried to shout her down, telling her he was going to make sure she didn't make a fool out of him or slander his name by telling people lies about what a 'hero' Finn was. He was determined that if they had to hold a funeral, it would be a traditional, yet brief one. He didn't see the need to prolong the uselessness of the whole procedure.

Astrid had nearly threatened him with her favourite axe when he had dared to degrade the uncle she had loved as a second father. Instead, she had gritted her teeth so hard she was sure she had dislodged a filling and told them all strongly to get out of Finn's house. She didn't want to give him any reason to find a way to have her removed as executor of Finn's will. She already knew he was seeking a way to legally intervene. Of course, he wasn't going to be able to find one. Not till it was too late, anyway.

She also knew that Finn's security cameras had captured the entire argument. She smirked. If he tried anything, the video footage would show the true story. Hers.

So when Hiccup held out the envelope supposedly filled with photos, Astrid couldn't help but eye it suspiciously. She took it and began flicking through the pile. Immediately her face twisted in disgust. Before she had even finished scanning through them, she placed them back in the envelope and held it out by the corner.

"Do you have a bin?" she asked acidly.

Hiccup wordlessly pulled one out and she dropped the offending photos in without hesitation.

She brushed her hands together, then told him stiffly, "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to wash off something nasty."

Turning sharply, she marched out of the office to the restrooms where she intended to scrub her hands clean. Hiccup knew exactly how she felt. His skin was still crawling after his earlier close encounter of the unwanted kind with the brazen woman too.

Astrid was back a few minutes later, her smile having returned, much to Hiccup's relief.

"Shall we proceed?" she asked, much more calmly.

"Of course, m'lady," Hiccup smirked, waving her back towards the arrangement room.

After they had settled at the table, Astrid pulled a USB stick out of her purse, but hesitated with it.

Hiccup watched her. "Is that the music?" he asked gently.

She nodded.

"Are you still worried about your choices?"

She seemed to shake off a thought. "I know I shouldn't be listening to him, but... Heff told me it was ridiculous to have modern music at a funeral. He said classical was what people would expect." She looked up him worriedly. "Is that true?"

Hiccup had to bite his tongue to prevent a sharp retort against her uncle Heff. He had spent all that time with Astrid yesterday, trying to reassure her to be comfortable with her choices, only to have that controlling buffoon reduce her to an uncertain wreck again.

Hiccup placed his hand over hers holding the USB and looked directly into her eyes.

"What do you think, Astrid?" he asked her, his gaze not leaving hers as he waited for her response.

Astrid held her breath, unable to tear herself away from him. He seemed so confident in her choices, that she felt a surge of bravado. Hiccup was the director. Funerals were his business. He was the expert, not Heff. If Hiccup felt her decisions were right, then she should too.

She pursed her mouth tight in determination and nodded.

"You're right. This is for Uncle Finn...not Heff," she decided.

Hiccup's lip twitched in satisfaction at her answer. He pulled his hand back, gently taking the USB stick with him.

Astrid had to suppress a shudder at the action, feeling a tingle in her fingers where his hand had been. She kept her eyes locked on his, feeling a wash of emotion overcome her. How did he do it? How did he make her feel like he cared so much about what she thought? That what she said was important to him?

Hiccup held up the USB stick like a prize and smirked, breaking the spell that Astrid had been under.

"Let's see what you've got, shall we?" he asked, pulling a laptop across the table and plugging it in. A few keystrokes later, the tinny sounds of heavy rock poured fourth, making Hiccup sit back with a wide grin. His head bobbed along with the beat, and Astrid found herself laughing at the sight.

"Who knew you'd be a head-banger," she teased.

His eyes lit up with mirth at her words. "I'm a man of many surprises," he assured her, his fingers picking up the rhythm against the table.

"I'm sure," she grinned, finding herself trying to discretely tap along to the music with him.

He spotted the action and pointed to her hands. "See? Right there. That's why this music is the right choice. You enjoy it too. Every time you hear this song, you'll remember him. And because you like it, you'll hear it often. Do you think if you chose some generic classical piece, that you would ever listen to it again? Would it really honour his memory?"

Astrid was surprised at how passionately he spoke to her, and found herself thinking on his words. He was right, of course, she knew that deep in her gut. She did love this song. It was one that she had danced to on many occasions with her uncle, when she was a teenager and they were goofing off and having fun. It wouldn't feel right to have any other song but this one.

She gave a slow smile at the realisation. "No, it wouldn't. You're right. But you missed out something," she told him softly.

He looked at her curiously. "What's that?"

Her grin widened. "Every time I hear it, I'm also going to remember you...a secret hard rocker."

He laughed delightedly, and Astrid giggled too.

"Well, it can hardly be a secret if you know about it," he told her, chuckling.

"I'll be sure to tell it from the rooftops," she teased him.

He gasped in mock horror, putting a hand to his chest. "Nooo...not the rooftops," he pretended to beg.

She grinned, then told him in feigned seriousness, "Okay. I'll just whisper it into the cupboard instead."

He let out an exaggerated "Phew," wiping his hand across his brow. "I'm safe."

He reached over to stop the music. In the quiet that followed, he smiled gently at her, the previous moments of madness already behind them. Astrid felt a little sad the magic had been broken. She had unexpectedly been enjoying herself, and hadn't really wanted it to end. Another place, another time...perhaps they could have danced together with song after song playing for just the two of them.

Her eyes widened at the thought. What was she doing? Thinking like that was only going to cause trouble. And besides, he didn't see her like that. Why would he? He had grieving family members sitting across the table from him on a regular basis. She was unlikely to be the first person he had ever looked after so well. Or the last.

Hiccup was tapping on the keyboard again, seemingly unaffected by her thoughts. Astrid struggled to get herself under control, but almost lost it again when he turned those expressive deep green eyes on her once more. Astrid gazed at him, thinking idly to herself that Hiccup Green was now her favourite colour. He smiled, and she realised with a start that she had done it again, so she cleared her throat and focused on what he was doing on the computer instead.

Hiccup's lips were curled the right way, his fingers were hitting the right keys on the keyboard with the right rhythm, but inside he was kicking himself. He couldn't believe he had just flirted with Astrid like that. Even if it had been pretty mild, it was well past what he should have done.

He had only wanted to encourage her, to prevent her second-guessing herself. Instead, he had played with her hands like some cheesy Romeo. The fact that they had felt so soft and delicate under his larger ones was a fact he was trying desperately to ignore for now. Unfortunately for him, it was going to prove a lot harder than he expected because he now had to deal with the other items on the USB stick...her photos.

Image after image scrolled across his screen of Finn, with a younger Astrid included in a lot of them. A jumbled assortment of photos that showed Finn with his family, mostly Astrid and her parents, and his friends. Occasionally the sour face of Heff made a compulsory appearance. A slightly blurry photo of Tessa standing next to Finn holding baby Ross was also included, although Hiccup got the impression Astrid had deliberately chosen the worse photo she could find of Finn's ex-wife.

Hiccup clicked the button for the next photo, and had to stop short. He tried to muffle a totally unprofessional snort, but it was too late.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "It's okay, you can laugh," she told him tonelessly, although he didn't miss the light dusting of colour rising across her cheeks.

The twinkle in his eyes gave away his mirth. "Why would I do that? You look so cute with those pigtails," he teased.

She nodded proudly. "Even at twelve, I was rockin' it," she said, then broke into a wide grin.

Hiccup chuckled. "I have to agree." He clicked to the next photo, one of a smiling Finn holding up a bottle of beer, surrounded by friends posing in a similiar fashion. His blue collar worker roots were plainly on display. None of the high-end lifestyle that his eldest brother Heff so espoused was evident at all.

Astrid leaned forward, and Hiccup caught a waft of her perfume. He inhaled slightly deeper, finding the scent quite pleasing to his olfactory nerves. He couldn't help but compare the delicate aroma to the overpowering sensation that Tessa had delivered earlier that day. He found he didn't mind Astrid's fragrance at all.

"That's my dad," she interrupted his thoughts, pointing at a guy pulling a crazy face who had his arm slung around Finn's shoulders.

Hiccup could't help but chuckle at the goofy brothers. "Looks like they were best buds," he commented.

Astrid nodded, an affectionate grin tilting up the corner of her mouth. "They were. They hung out together all the time. The two of them were always the life of any party."

Her breath hitched, and Hiccup glanced sideways at her. She was taking in some deeper breaths, doing her best to keep it together. Once again, Hiccup found his heart breaking for this woman. She used to belong to a tight-knit family group, barring Heff, and now the only relatives she had left were the total opposite to everything Astrid stood for. He found himself at a total loss of what he could possibly do or say to make her feel any better. There was no solution for this.

He cleared his throat. "Um...I noticed that these photos are not in any kind of order. Could you help me work out the youngest to oldest pics?"

Astrid hastily thumbed away a drop of moisture from the corner of her eye. "Sure. I'm so sorry I didn't think about this beforehand. Would have saved you a bunch of time if I had," she apologized, her smile watery and her tone wobbly. Hiccup chose to ignore all that, instead he focussed on the photos on the screen.

"That's not a problem at all. In fact, I should be apologizing to you. I normally ask for that at the beginning, so I'm sorry."

A smile briefly flitted across her lips. "So we're both sorry. Now we have to spend extra time doing this instead of more important stuff."

Personally Hiccup felt he was in exactly the right spot, but he nodded anyway. "I don't want to hold you up, if you need to be somewhere else. We can still do this tomorrow if you prefer?"

She shook her head, her hand resting so very gently over the top of his for a moment. Hiccup resisted the urge to glance down to find out why his skin felt so much warmer where she had touched him.

"It's okay. I'd rather do this now, if that's alright?"

He agreed. The two spent the next half hour huddled closer together than was strictly necessary, analyzing the photos on the tiny laptop screen. He took every opportuntiy to gently tease her about her younger self, and she responded with her own playful responses. For just a few minutes, it felt as if they were two friends together catching up on old times. The rest of reality was currently suspended. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end.

Hiccup retyped the name for the last slide. "That's it. We've got them all," he told her. He could hear the relunctant tone in his own voice, and hoped she hadn't noticed. But it seemed something was still bothering her, judging by the way her brows were furrowed and she was chewing on her bottom lip.

"All okay?" he asked.

She hesistated. "Uh...I need to ask about my uncle's clothes. Um...Heff has been telling me that Uncle Finn needs to 'look presentable'. He said it was important for Finn to be in a suit. Is that true? Because Uncle Finn doesn't even own a suit. I mean, how do you go suit shopping for a dead guy?" she asked worriedly.

"First of all...don't get a rental," Hiccup smirked.

"Seriously?" was Astrid's flat response. She frowned, but he could see a tiny smirk begging to be let free, hiding there at the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah, the repayments are a killer," he grinned.

She groaned, but smiled anyway. "That's terrible."

He laughed, then grinned reassuringly at her. "Listen, he doesn't have to wear a suit. What about his favourite clothes?"

"Um...actually, he was proud of his work uniform," she told him, biting her lip tentatively. She thought for a moment. "I was proud of him in his uniform." She began to tear up at the memories, and grabbed a tissue.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, dabbing at her eyes.

"Do't be. It's going to happen anyway. this is the place for all that...remember?" he told her softly, offering her another tissue. She took it.

She nodded, while delicately wiping her nose. "I know. And I thank you so much for that," she told him, her tone muted.

She peeked up at him with her red-rimmed eyes shimmering, and Hiccup had never felt the urge to hug somebody so badly in all his life. He was so torn. Astrid needed comfort and he dearly wanted to hold her in his arms while she grieved...but he knew that would be crossing the line. So he stayed seated in his chair and agonized over her instead while he did the only thing he could.

"You're welcome."

Astrid gave a final sniff. "Um...I know I keep doing this, but I have to ask. I told Heff that I wasn't ordering any flowers for the coffin, and he went right off the deep end." She grimaced sourly at the reminder of yet another argument with her demanding uncle. "He said it was 'preposterous' that there were no flowers. He told me...actually, scratch that...he roared at me, that all funerals have flowers, that it was only 'proper'."

She made air quotes at the last word, her scathing tone telling Hiccup exactly what the blonde-haired woman thought of her uncle's arrogant attitude.

Her eyes lifted to his again, and Hiccup could see the indecision flitting behind those blue irises. He wanted to erase it and see the confident and sassy Astrid return. So he smirked.

"Well, either people are dropping like flies around him, for him to attend so many funerals and have that kind of knowledge...or he's running a secret funeral home that I haven't heard of yet. I wonder what it's called? Maybe 'Heff's Fancy Funerals - only suits and flowers allowed'," he suggested with a teasing grin.

Astrid snorted. "Stop it," she said, semi-seriously, but the obvious smirk gave her away. "You're wrong on both counts. He's the one who wrote the 'correct' funeral plan for all his upper-class snooty friends and they follow it. So when he attends, there are always flowers... and men in suits."

"Ahhh...of course that's it. I should have known," he responded with a snap of his fingers, the corner of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

She chuckled, her eyes lit with that bright light that Hiccup was looking for. He reached over to place a hand over her wrist, then asked her seriously, "Astrid, tell me this...you know what type of a man your Uncle Finn was...how would it make you feel to come to his funeral with flowers, sedate orchestral music and your uncle in a suit?"

She frowned pensively as she thought about it. "Like I was at a stranger's funeral. It would feel like a lie."

He nodded, pulling his hand back. "A funeral is to respect the memory of those we have lost, and that means referencing the things that meant the most to them. So, let's do this your way...and remember the type of man Finn really was," he suggested kindly.

She nodded, and Hiccup was pleased to see the lines of worry ease from her forehead. The smile she gave him, was one of relief and reassurance as she looked directly into his eyes.

"Thank you so much Hiccup. I know I'd be lost without you."

Hiccup was struck by the sincerity of her words, and he delayed for a moment before answering. "I'm glad to be able to help you in any way I can," he reassured her warmly.

They continued to gaze into each other's eyes for a few more moments than was comfortable, before Astrid suddenly cleared her throat and nervously dropped her focus to her purse. She opened it and made a show of taking out her keys.

"Umm...I should probably leave now. You're a busy man, and I've already taken up too much of your time," she told him hesistantly.

Hiccup was dismayed that he'd been caught staring at her for so long, so he stood up rather quickly from the table, rushing to help her with her chair. She rose to her feet.

"Er...would it be okay if I come back tomorrow with Uncle Finn's uniform? Maybe about ten o'clock?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded, then indicated the way out of the arrangment room into the reception area before following her out. "I'll check the diary," he told her, before leaning over the counter to grab the book he needed.

"Ten o'clock's fine," he told her, picking up a pen to write the new information in. He looked up from his notes only to find her eyes on him, gazing at him curiously.

"What's the matter," he asked with a twitch of concern, wondering if perhaps he's got ink smudged across his nose.

She paused for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to say anything.

"Can I ask you something personal?" she asked tentatively,

Hiccup tensed, thinking she was going to say something about his odd behaviour from when he had blatantly stared at her.

He hesitated for a moment. "Ahh sure...go ahead."

She smiled sweetly at him, and Hiccup felt he might just melt under the warmth flooding him if she was going to keep doing that.

"I always thought funeral directors were old, wise men. You seem much too young to be a funeral director, and be so wise too. Can I ask... how did you end up in this business?" she asked, genuinely curious and wanting to know.

Hiccup reacted with surprise, taken aback at her question. He gave a small chuckle. "I guess I should say thank you for inferring I'm wise. I'm not, by the way, just so you know." He paused for a moment longer, before answering her question. It was one he'd been asked before, but somehow, it didn't seem right to spout off to her the casual line he'd used on previous occasions. The real answer was quite painful, and not one he wanted to share with casual acquaintances.

But with Astrid, he could see she really cared about what he was going to say. It wasn't just idle curiosity on her part. Hiccup felt himself relax. He wanted to tell her.

"In case you didn't realise...I'm actually third generation funeral director. So you could say I've grown up into it. My mum died when I was just a baby, so dad used to bring me here while he worked. Trust me, I wasn't interested in carrying on the family tradition at first. I was as selfish as they come, wanting to do other things, go other places. You know how it is when you're so young."

Astrid gave a small smile and nodded encouragingly, waiting for him to say more.

"I mean, I used to help out all the time anyway. Dad made sure I learned all there was to know. But I never took it to heart. Strangely enough, it wasn't until dad died, that I truly appreciated what he had been saying all along. Preparing for his funeral was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do..." Hiccup had to stop to swallow down the ball of emotion that threatened to choke him, his gaze drifting towards the view outside the glass door for a moment.

Astrid touched his arm lightly in understanding, and he brought his focus back towards her.

"I realised that being a funeral director was an important choice for me. I had the ability to help people...and it was something I was proud to do. So...here I am. Still helping."

She smiled warmly at him. "And doing a wonderful job at it, Hiccup."

Astrid found herself spontaneously leaning forward to give Hiccup a firm but brief hug. "Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I find it very reassuring that you know exactly what I'm going through." Her eyes were misting over and she had to blink several times to gain some control.

The pained smile that Hiccup gave in return, was not the rehearsed one of a funeral director, but rather one of a son still feeling the loss of a father. He maintained his focus though.

"You're welcome Astrid. Anytime."

She turned to leave, but asked first. "I'll see you tomorrow at ten, right?"

Hiccup nodded. "Ten it is. I'll be here.

He hadn't moved for several minutes after she'd left, when Fishlegs came in.

"Everything okay Hiccup?" he asked, concerned over his friends preoccupied stare.

Hiccup came back to life, giving his friend a reassuring grin. "I'm fine. Thinking about the old man, that's all. But hey, life has to go on doesn't it?" he said with false bravado.

Fishlegs gave his friend a sympathetic look. "Sure. Doesn't mean it won't hurt now and then," he answered sagely.

Hiccup could only nod. He needed a few minutes to gather himself together before his next task. He didn't regret telling Astrid any part of his story. He felt she would take care of what he had said and keep it close. But he had been glad she had left when she did. He hadn't really wanted to end up a blubbering mess in front of her.

Not in front of a 'client', he reminded himself grimly.

-oOo-

It was after six o'clock in the evening, but Hiccup was still in front of his computer in the semi-darkened office. All the others had long ago left for home, but he had stayed to finish the slideshow for Astrid. He could have waited till the next day to start on it, but the thought of all those photos of Astrid and her family flashing across the screen while the others hung over his shoulder and mercilessly teased the heck out of him was more than he could deal with.

Plus this way, nobody would notice how long he lingered over the photos that contained a younger version of Astrid. Or how his mind wandered, imagining himself with her in those earlier years as he recalled the stories she had told him that afternoon when they were laughingly arranging the photos. When she had become melancholy, he had watched her carefully, offering some soft words of comfort. But she had then bravely shaken that off to grin at the next image. Hiccup remembered everything she said, and her words rolled around in his mind while he cropped, edited and matched the slides to the music Astrid had chosen.

By the time he had completed the slideshow a couple of hours later, Hiccup felt like he'd known Astrid and her family for years.

He also knew he was in trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday morning started with an unexpected twist for Hiccup. Although, thinking about it afterwards, he should have seen it coming. After his late night finishing Astrid's slideshow presentation...which was still very much on his mind...he'd arrived later than usual. He'd barely made it into the office to switch over the on-call phones, when Tuffnut startled him, banging open the office door with a loud wail and with his hand clutched tightly to his chest.

"Hiccup! There's been a death in the family. I need you to do your f-f-funeral directing thingy," he sobbed loudly, huge teardrops rolling unchecked down his cheeks.

Hiccup felt his stomach drop for his inconsolable friend. He pulled out a chair and helped a blubbering Tuffnut into it.

"Of course, Tuff. I'll do all I can for you," he told his friend sympathetically.

"I knew you would. I can rely on you to help a grieving man," the lanky dreadlocked blonde snuffled, before grabbing Hiccup's tie and noisily blowing his nose on it. Hiccup yelped, jerked downwards by the sudden action.

Tuffnut released him when he had finished and Hiccup's face contorted into a ' _yech_ ' expression at the grossness of it all. He calmly loosened the tie and took it off before dropping it into the bin.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Tuffnut. Can you tell me who passed away?" he asked gently, pulling out a notepad to jot down the details.

"It was...it was...Lizzy," sniffled Tuff, beginning to wail again. He leaned forward to pinch the cuff of Hiccup's long sleeve, but Hiccup saw him coming and quickly substituted the tissue box instead. Tuff hesitated at the tissues, then to Hiccup's immediate disgust, proceeded to wipe his nose with a huge sniff along his own shirt sleeve. Hiccup had to swallow the dry heave back down, doing his best to keep his professional face on while he studiously avoided glancing at the newly placed streaks along Tuff's shirt.

"Lizzy? I don't think I know her. Were you close?" he asked Tuff politely, feeling grateful he could still talk without rediscovering his breakfast.

Tuff held up two of his fingers twisted together. "We were like this," he sobbed wetly, only pausing to wipe his nose on his sleeve again with a loud sniff.

Nope, Hiccup decided, swallowing hard. The urge to blow off his last meal was still there.

Tuffnut continued his emotional outpouring, "It seems like only yesterday, she was staring at me through the glass, licking her eyeball with her long tongue..."

"Huh?" said Hiccup, startled at the unexpected turn in the conversation.

"It was only yesterday, you doofus," grumbled Ruffnut, walking through the door in obvious irritation.

Hiccup turned to the female twin. "Uh, Ruff? Who...or what...is Lizzy?" he asked, with a touch of suspicion.

Tuffnut immediately began wailing louder when Hiccup said the word Lizzy. His hand clutched tighter to his chest, and he looked like a man who had lost the love of his life.

"It's a stupid gecko," snapped Ruff, forcing Tuff to open his clutched hand.

"Ow-ow-oww! Can't you see I'm grieving?" Tuff argued, reluctantly exposing what he had been hanging onto with such dedication.

Hiccup saw straight away it was a half squashed gecko, and he let out a huge sigh of relief. He had begun to wonder with the long tongue comment...

"He saw it on the kitchen window last night, and decided it was his new best friend...except this morning, he found it wedged in the door frame," said Ruffnut, frowning at her idiotic brother.

"MURDERER!" Tuffnut suddenly screamed, pointing at his sister. "You killed her, I know it! You were jealous of how close we were."

Hiccup decided this had gone on for long enough, so hastily stepped forward before a full-out Thorston war could begin.

"I would be honored to hold a funeral for...er...Lizzy," he said quickly. "Shall we go outside now and start?"

Tuffnut nodded sorrowfully, cradling the gecko gently in his hand. "Don't spare no expense. I want the best for my Lizzy," he said in a tremulous voice while Ruff rolled her eyes.

Hiccup agreed quickly, just to avoid Tuff bursting into tears again.

So, a few minutes later, the entire staff were out in the garden courtyard, with a small hole hastily dug in the garden bed. Tuff was clasping a tiny cardboard box that contained the mangled body of 'Lizzy' resting on a layer of folded over tissue paper, with a plucked flower placed delicately over the top of the recently deceased.

"So what are we doing here again?" complained Snotlout loudly. "I've got work to do...for real dead people."

Fishlegs nudged the stocky man hard, making him grunt indignantly. Hiccup could see Tuff's bottom lip trembling, ready to start wailing again, so he started up quickly.

"Er...we are gathered here today, to er...pay our last respects to the enduring friendship that is...was...Lizzy. She...or maybe he...was um..." Hiccup paused, not sure how to show your last respects for a creature that ate flies for a living. He continued, "...the best gecko that a man could hope to find...on your kitchen window."

He turned to the grieving Tuff. "Do you want to say something?" he asked, almost desperately.

Tuff opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short by Ruffnut.

"No! Just bury the dam thing already," she said curtly.

Tuff became indignant. "Well, don't come running to me when your favourite aunt dies and you want sympathy," he huffed.

Hiccup's jaw nearly hit the floor but he pushed ahead regardless. He indicated towards the 'grave'. "Tuff, if you would do the honor's please?"

Tuff knelt down to carefully place the box in the ground. He shuffled dirt across to fill it in, and patted it gently. "I'll never forget you, Lizzy," he murmured quietly.

When he had finished, Tuff stood back up to find himself the only mourner left in the courtyard. All the others had scattered.

"Well, I know who my true friends are," he huffed to himself.

Much later that day, Hiccup approached Tuffnut tentatively. "How are you going?" he asked.

Tuffnut beamed. "I'm great! Why do you ask?"

Hiccup cocked his head in confusion. "Just checking...you know, after Lizzy?"

Tuff wrinkled up his nose. "Lizzy?"

Hiccup sighed, "Never mind. My mistake..."

-oOo-

After the 'funeral' of the dear departed Lizzy, Hiccup had busied himself preparing for the real funeral that was to be held later that day for the elderly gentleman Mr Roberts. Everything was already done, but he kept nervously checking and double checking the chapel room, then reading through the paperwork to see if anything had been forgotten.

His odd behaviour didn't escape notice.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" asked his co-director.

Hiccup looked up from his papers. "Hmmm? Did you say something?" he asked vaguely.

Fishlegs frowned. "You've read that same piece of paper about twenty times now. I'm pretty sure that whatever you're looking for is still not there."

Hiccup's gaze flicked over to the clock.

Fishlegs saw this. "And why do you keep checking the time? Are you waiting for somebody?" he demanded. He didn't know whether to be alarmed or irritated with his best friend's strange actions, but he knew something wasn't right.

Hiccup was quick to deny. "No, no. It's nothing. I'm just nervous about this funeral this afternoon. You know…for Astrid, I mean Mr Roberts," he corrected quickly. Grinning nervously, he vainly hoped his slip up would go by without comment.

He was not going to be that lucky today.

"Astrid? What do you mean Astrid?"

"Astrid? Did I say Astrid? No…pfff, I was referring to Mr Roberts. Astrid has an appointment in about…twenty minutes…at ten o'clock. Why is that clock so slow?" Hiccup mumbled under his breath when he checked the time again. He was almost ready to climb up and pull the time keeper apart to find out why the mechanical item was torturing him so much.

"Well, she's early. I can see her walking up to the office door now," said Fishlegs, nodding towards the young blonde woman striding towards the glass door.

"Oh thank goodness," Hiccup said quietly, breathing out a giant sigh of relief as he eagerly tossed the paperwork for Mr Roberts on the bench. Not that he had really been reading it anyway. He had been so strung up and nervous about meeting with Astrid again after the revelation he had received last night, that it had been difficult to focus on anything else. Agreeing to do the slide presentation for her may have been his undoing. He'd been repeating to himself, 'Not with a client' all last night and this morning, but it seems his treacherous heart was deciding otherwise for him.

For now though, he shoved those thoughts down deep.

Rushing forward, he opened the door for his blonde client, almost tripping up in his haste.

"Good morning, Astrid," he welcomed warmly. If his gaze was a little more intense than usual, she didn't seem to notice.

"Hello Hiccup," she answered, a touch vaguely. What she was obviously more interested in at the moment was the bundle of clothes she currently held in her arms, if the way she was picking imaginary fluff of it was any indication.

Hiccup observed her carefully, feeling the knot of concern building up deep in the pit of his stomach at her distress. He indicated towards the now familiar arrangement room.

"Come through, Astrid."

She nodded and walked in ahead of him.

After helping her with the chair, Hiccup remained standing.

"Are those the clothes for your uncle?' he asked gently, prompting her to look up at him.

"Yes. I…I tried to find a newish one, but they're all a little beat up. This was the cleanest one I could find," she confessed to him sadly, still brushing off invisible dirt from the uniform in her lap.

Hiccup gave a small smile in acknowledgement of her reluctance to let the outfit go. "That's fine. Shows he was a hard worker," he told her softly, watching her reaction closely. The sheen in her eyes grew brighter, threatening to spill over.

"Shall I?' he asked, his hands out.

Astrid hesitated for only a moment before shoving her package towards him. After briefly excusing himself to remove the clothes to a safer location, Hiccup came back and sat down opposite her.

"Is there anything left to do?" she asked tentatively.

Hiccup shook his head for the negative. "The funeral notice will be in the paper tomorrow. Everything else has been done. Only the service itself left to go…and the obligatory disagreement with your relatives," he added with an almost flat expression.

Astrid glanced up and snorted. "Guaranteed, I would say," she agreed, lifting the corner of her lip in a disgusted sneer. Hiccup allowed himself a small smile at her reaction.

There was a pause while both parties took stock of their situation. Neither knew what to say or do next. Hiccup felt a sense of loss, knowing there was no reason for him to see her anymore until Tuesday…and following that, never again. In the few days that he'd know her, he'd found himself eagerly anticipating her next visit. And now it was almost over.

Astrid also felt herself reluctant to leave the small room and its other occupant, a sensation she'd never experienced before with anybody. Although she told herself, it wasn't everyday she needed such a compassionate shoulder who could understand what she was going through. It was only his calm demeanour that had kept her sane while she fought with her family. The fact that he was cute didn't hurt either, she decided. And now, it was about to end. He would move on to help other families instead of her. Astrid wasn't sure she liked the finality of all that.

Taking in a deep breath to steady her qualms, Astrid could only ask, "So that's it?"

He nodded almost helplessly. "Yes. But…please call me…if your relatives give you too much trouble. Or you think of something else. I want to make sure the whole funeral goes well for you. If we could have a heads up on any problems, it will make it easier to sort out," he offered generously.

Astrid smiled, glad for the warm invitation and the opportunity to stay in touch. Even if it was for the wrong reasons.

"Thank you Hiccup. I will."

-oOo-

Later that morning, Hiccup had finally managed to regain some of his sense of composure…mostly. He was attempting to complete some financial records that urgently needed his attention, but found his mind drifting towards a certain blonde female instead. Each time it happened, he would huff in frustration, frown deeply and firmly remind himself that she was a client with no interest in him whatsoever, except in his duties as a funeral director. Which he was now currently neglecting.

Hiccup's lips thinned tightly together, crossing out an error he had made in his distracted haze. Giving up for a moment, he threw his pen down, sending it scattering across the desk, and sat back. He scratched the side of his jaw in an agitated fashion, wondering how on earth he was going to get past all this. He had a business to run, and he didn't have time for mooning about like a love-sick puppy.

The jar of the phone ringing jolted him from his reverie for a moment, and he grabbed at it with a sense of relief. Anything for a distraction right now.

Speaking clearly into the handset, he answered, "Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Hiccup."

" _You_...you need to stop giving my niece ludicrous ideas," spoke an abrupt voice that Hiccup knew very well by now. He sighed in irritation, but didn't interrupt the furious tirade spewing at him through the phone.

"I have spoken to my lawyers…very well _respected_ lawyers who have never lost a case…and unless you hold this blasted funeral the way I want it to be held, then I will be instructing them to force you to stop." Heff finished his spiel and barely contained threats triumphantly, fulling convinced that he now had the upper hand.

Hiccup didn't fall for it.

"As I've already told you, _sir_ ," Hiccup began, saying the last word with particular emphasis. "Astrid has a _legally_ binding document that declares her the executor, and therefore the person _legally_ able to organize the funeral. I don't think your intentions show you have the best interests of Astrid or Finn at heart. In fact, you have been nothing but antagonistic the entire way. Would you like me to share that information with your so-called lawyers?" he asked forcefully.

Heff spluttered in furious indignation, "Antagonistic? That girl has been downright rude to me and my family. She's….."

Hiccup interrupted fiercely, "She's been defending herself against you the entire time. I've watched you blatantly try to override her authority from the very beginning…and don't think I don't know about the conversations you've had with her when you tried to break into Finn's house without reason. You have not shown a single ounce of compassion or reasonableness with her decisions from the first moment I was introduced to both of you."

He could hear the other man sucking in an outraged breath, but before Heff could say anything further, Hiccup let his pent up frustrations continue to flow down the phone line.

"Why are you so adamant about all this anyway? Why do you feel the need to force your way into this funeral for a man you obviously have no time for? Or for his niece that you can't agree on anything with?"

Hiccup was sure he could feel the heat from Heff's bright red face permeating through the phone at this blatant attack on his integrity.

"I am a _respectable_ business man, just like my father before me," Heff replied so loudly that Hiccup was sure his ears would be ringing for at least a week. "I will not have that…that… _uncultured_ fool ruin my reputation, or that of my father's…especially if news of the cowardly way he died ever got out," he spat out distastefully.

Hiccup could only grit his teeth and suck in a measured breath, counting to ten as he did so. He couldn't help but feel outraged on Astrid and her uncle Finn's behalf. But Heff wasn't finished quite yet, determined that he was still perched atop his high horse in this debate.

"If that stupid girl is going to _insist_ on a public funeral, then I need to make sure it's done properly. I want no repercussions on me at all. And that's why you are going to listen to me, and do things my way. Don't think I can't make life _difficult_ for you," the larger man threatened.

Hiccup immediately bristled at these words.

"What would your precious public think about you resorting to such uncouth methods such as blackmail, hmm? Not such a respectable image now, is it?" he forced out in a voice that let the other man know he wasn't backing down.

Heff hemmed and hawed over the phone line, his line of attack clearly disabled. He changed tack.

"She's using Finn's money inappropriately," he shouted. "She can't do that."

Hiccup had to jerk the phone away from his ear to avoid being deafened, but at the obnoxious man's words, he huffed impatiently.

"Actually she can. I've seen the will. It's very clear cut, that Astrid is to arrange his funeral AND to use the money he personally set aside for that very purpose. Are you demanding the money for yourself?" he asked pointedly.

Heff drew in a deep breath, ready to blast the young funeral director for his impudence, when Hiccup cut him off.

"I'm very sorry, I'm going to have to leave you there. I have another much more important call to take. Thank you for your time," he said as politely as possible through gritted teeth, then hung up.

Even though Hiccup was seething inside at the heated exchange, his lip twisted up in a brief smug smirk, imagining what Heff was likely yelling at him right now. It gave him a sense of twisted satisfaction to set the older man straight over all the outright lies he had tried to feed Hiccup.

But he also felt concern. If Heff was willing to threaten him, how was he treating Astrid? Hiccup felt the urge to call the slender blonde to make sure she was okay, but he repressed it. Astrid was obviously a strong woman who could handle her wayward uncle just fine. It was only when it came to making decisions about the funeral that Heff managed to unsettle her. Hiccup could only hope that he himself had done enough to reassure her that she was doing all the right things in that regard.

Maybe he would call her later.

Or maybe he wouldn't. He didn't want to make a fool of himself just yet. Besides, if Astrid had any real issues, she would call him about it.

Wouldn't she?

Hiccup felt more than a little perturbed about the whole situation, but for now there was nothing he could do.

-oOo-

Of course, it would be Hiccup's bad luck that between the argument with Heff still vividly fresh in his mind, and his concerns over Astrid playing over and over, that he slipped up...again.

Ruffnut strolled into the office, her twin shadow right behind her shoulder.

"Hey Hiccup. Mrs Roberts called to say she was coming in early for her husband's funeral this afternoon. She has some extra flowers to set up," Ruff told her boss.

He barely looked up from his computer, where he was reading a new email that had come through. "That's okay. Astrid already told me yesterday she was going to do that," he murmured distractedly, trying to concentrate on both the words written on the screen, and the words coming from Ruffnut's mouth.

The twins looked at each other in glee.

"Astrid?" said Ruffnut nonchalantly, although her eyes gave her true intentions away. She was out to cause some havoc. "Mrs Robert's name is Astrid? How unusual to have two people with that name."

Hiccup's attention snapped to the twins, his colour paling at the realisation of what he had done.

"N..n..no, uh...Mrs Robert's name is Lucy, not Astrid," he stammered.

"Our mistake. Maybe it was the celebrant who was Astrid?" Tuffnut asked his sister with an evil grin.

"Could be...could be. But what about our dear recently departed, Mr Roberts himself. Was his name Astrid?" Ruffnut countered.

"Oh no, I think you're mistaking his name for the pallbearers...they're all named Astrid," Tuffnut cackled, fist bumping with his sister when they observed the rich red hue racing up Hiccup's neck and jaw.

Snotlout happened to walk in at that moment, and instantly spotted the overly flushed cheeks of his boss.

"Aw man! He's turned tomato! How come I keep missing out?" he complained.

Hiccup was totally floored by all the teasing and mortified by his own slip up. He had no rebuttal except to mutter something about needing to check on something and rushing from the room.

Snotlout huffed at his missed opportunity _again_ , while the twins laughed at Hiccup's discomfit.

"He's too easy. He should have met Astrid ages ago," said Tuffnut, pretending to wipe a tear of joy from his eye.

"Aye. We have blushing material for a long time to come," agreed his sister.

"And I'll keep missing it," grumbled Snotlout, stomping out of the room.

-oOo-

Hiccup couldn't wait for this day to end after that last monumental gaff. He'd slid from one balancing act to another all day long. As soon as he felt he was back on an even keel, something else would happen to sweep his feet out from under him again...and Astrid had been the centre of each and every unsettled moment.

Somehow, after all that he'd managed to pull off an entire funeral service for the late Mr Roberts without any further mishap. Although he wasn't really sure how. The final song was still playing over the speakers as the last family member left the chapel. Hiccup sighed quietly in relief, then went to lock the double glass doors. Before he did however, he noticed the box of items the family had left behind. Hiccup picked it up, then rushed out the doors to locate Mrs Roberts before she departed.

Hiccup was finally in luck. She hadn't progressed much further than the portico, lingering to talk with other family members. He politely interrupted. As he spoke to the bereaved wife, Hiccup couldn't help but notice out of the corner of his eye, two cute-as-a-button twin girls standing close by. They were probably aged about four, and were dressed identically with their hair done in matching ribbons. They both smiled so very sweetly...then stuck out their tongues.

Hiccup blinked, taken aback for a moment at this rather unexpected behaviour, then returned his attention to the girls grandmother. Finishing what he had to say, he handed over the forgotten items then turned to walk back inside...only to be startled at the sight of Tuffnut and Snotlout pressed up against the inside of the chapel entrance doors with their open mouths stretched grotesquely over the glass and their eyes crossed. The two little girls giggled at the sight while Hiccup groaned inwardly. He wasn't exactly sure which ones were the kids and which ones were supposed to be the adults.

He frowned at the two men. They spotted him, and he could see them mouthing 'uh oh' to each other before they rapidly disappeared, leaving only the imprint of their overly stretched lips on the glass. He sighed to himself, then waved to the two disappointed little girls who had lost their 'playmates'. Then it was his turn to go, marching inside the chapel to find Snotlout and Tuffnut whistling an uneven nonchalant tune as they tidied up the room...what they should have been doing from the very start.

Standing in the middle of the aisle, Hiccup put his hands on his hips in a very dad like fashion.

"What do you two have to say for yourselves," he asked in a no-nonsense voice.

Tuffnut was quick to point out the two small faces now pressed against the glass door from the outside, repeating what they had seen only moments before.

"They started it."

Hiccup could only shake his head, suppressing a chuckle as he did. His friends already found enough reasons to act like kids...he didn't need to encourage them _AT_ all.

"I don't care who started it, I'm finishing it. And you two will be in charge of cleaning ALL the windows. Inside and out. Today," he told them in his firmest voice.

"Aww, dad," whined Tuffnut.

"All of them," Hiccup repeated.

He didn't stop to wait for any counter complaints, needing to get out of there before he split his side holding in his laughter. He made it all the way to the small courtyard, before he burst into laughter. He had to wipe a few joyful tears from the corner of his eye as he finished chuckling, the image of the two men and the two girls still fresh in his mind.

Breathing out a deep sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of his toes, Hiccup allowed himself to relax and let the stress of the day slide from his shoulders. He smiled.

Those two little girls and their two slightly oversized playmates had been just what he'd needed to keep his sanity after the stress of the day...although there was no way on this green earth that he was ever going to admit that to any of them. Their heads were big enough as it was.

Closing his eyes to enjoy the mild breeze dancing across his skin, Hiccup began to feel at ease. He didn't know what the future held for him or his troubled emotions, but he knew that no matter what, his friends would always be there for him. And for now, that was enough.

* * *

 **The glass door trick is always a classic...except for those who have to clean the glass.**


	6. Chapter 6

Saturday mornings had always been precious for Hiccup. After the long week of early starts, it was his one opportunity to rise when he felt like it, not when he had to. Provided he didn't receive a call from a devastated family member to tell him their loved one had passed and they needed his help, of course.

This Saturday was no different to any others in that sense. Fortunately for him, his phone had stayed mercifully silent so far but the idea of sleep had fled a long time ago. Lying back in bed with his arm tucked behind his head, Hiccup thought about the week he'd had. Astrid had been a surprising package, a blonde warrior that he could never have predicted or expected. He had no qualms calling her that, for she'd had to fight long and hard to ensure her Uncle Finn's wishes would be the ones respected…not some false ceremony dictated by her other uncle, Heff Hofferson.

He admired her courage and tenacity, her ability to keep on going despite how tough the opposition was. In the time they'd spent together he'd also been witness to her vulnerability, and he felt privileged that she had allowed him to do so. He'd helped many people through the process of arranging a funeral for their loved ones, but never had he felt so drawn to anyone as he did to her.

Hiccup sighed, deciding he might as well get out of bed. Thinking about her was achieving nothing. Once the funeral was over he would never see her again anyway. So he had better get used to the idea now.

Opening the fridge door, he stared at the practically bare shelves searching for breakfast inspiration. It looked like grocery shopping would have to be on his agenda for the day. Being a busy bachelor meant some weeks he was likely to pick up something fast and easy rather than cook, although he still tried to eat healthy if possible.

After a leisurely breakfast reading the newspaper over toast and tea…checking out the funeral notices of course…he tidied up his few dishes before planning what he was going to tackle next. Standing in the middle of his lounge room, he contemplated whether to start cleaning the bathroom or do the vacuuming first when his mobile rang loudly from its spot on the recharging cradle. Tripping over some books on the floor, Hiccup hastened to pick up the phone before it rang out.

"Good morning. Haddock Family Funerals. You're speaking with Hiccup."

"Hiccup?" came a familiar feminine voice.

The sudden surge of warmth he felt at the sound of her voice surprised him, and he found himself smiling like a goofball. He was surely glad none of his over-zealous crew were here to see him, standing in his pyjama pants and singlet top looking like a total grinning fool. He would never hear the end of it.

"Astrid? How are you? Is everything all right?" he asked fairly quickly, remembering to take a breath.

"Uh…yes. I'm fine. I'm so sorry to bother you on the weekend like this. I know you're probably busy," she told him, her voice wavering a tiny bit with concern that she'd interrupted his important private time.

Hiccup glanced around his dishevelled home, knowing that he really needed to clean it. That thought was flicked aside immediately over his preferred option of talking to Astrid instead…without the others listening in.

"No, I'm fine. Nothing that can't wait," he answered with a smile, choosing to sit and nestle into his favourite spot on the couch while he talked.

"You sure? I can call back another time," she offered politely.

"I'm sure. I was only debating which part of the house needed to be cleaned first. You actually saved me from a tragic fate. I was about to split myself in half to see if I could get it done faster."

Astrid laughed, all hesitation gone. "That would have been tragic," she agreed with a giggle. "I'm glad I was able to save you."

Hiccup sighed dramatically. "Thank you. I'm forever indebted to you. Now your every wish is my command."

She snorted. "That was a foolish thing to do…offering to do whatever I wish. The possibilities are endless for all kinds of mischief," she teased.

Hiccup laughed, "I'm sure I'll go along willingly. What was your request today, ma'am?" he asked in a mock serious tone.

Astrid seemed to stutter, abruptly reminded that she had a purpose when she picked up the phone a few moments ago that hadn't involved flirting with a tall auburn haired man.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I, um…I remembered something when I was going through some family photos…and it's rather an unusual request…but I wanted to find out if it was possible first," she asked hesitantly.

Hiccup was intrigued. An unusual request? He'd come across a lot of those in his years as a funeral director. He wasn't sure she could surprise him with hers.

"My uncle was an avid collector of weapons…Viking weapons in particular. I wanted to know if I could bring some in to display."

Okay, so he was wrong.

"Weapons? What type of weapons are we talking about?" he asked, curious about what she had in mind.

"Oh you know…the usual. Axes, swords, shields…that kind of stuff," she answered.

Hiccup thought for a moment, then frowned thoughtfully. Of course he had reservations about the whole deal. Sharp objects at a funeral with Astrid on one side and Heff the other? Things could get ugly real quick.

But he reminded himself that this was Astrid, and she wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important. So he decided to offer an olive branch.

"Sounds interesting, although I'm not too sure about it. Could I maybe ask you to come in on Monday and bring the ones you want to display?" he asked, thinking if he could personally inspect her choices first, maybe bloodshed could be avoided while still allowing for Finn's personal hobbies.

She breathed out a sigh in relief. "Yes, I can do that. I'll bring in Uncle Finn's favourite pieces."

Hiccup raised a brow at this. "His favourites? How many weapons did this guy have?" he asked, knowing he sounded incredulous.

Astrid laughed. "Would you believe he has an entire room stocked with weapons? He didn't just collect them, he also knew how to wield them. We used to go out a few times each year with some friends, and have mock Viking battles. Uncle Finn was the one who taught me how to fight with an axe. I'm very good, if I say so myself," she told him, the pride evident in her voice.

Hiccup smiled into the phone, sitting back and slinging one arm behind his head in a relaxed posture. "I'm sure you are. Although I don't know if I'm brave enough to ask for a demonstration."

She huffed. "If Heff keeps giving me grief, maybe you won't have to ask."

Hiccup grinned. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Astrid laughed, settling back onto her own couch. She had been unsure whether to call Hiccup since it was the weekend, but it had been important that she find out and she hadn't wanted to wait till Monday. Plus, he'd told her to call if she needed anything. Now, sitting here and listening to his slightly nasal tones over the phone, she found herself so glad she had.

"I'm sure we aren't the first argumentative family you've had to separate before," she scoffed.

"No," he readily agreed. "But I would have to say you'd be the first where an axe was involved."

"It doesn't have to be an axe you know. I could just as easily go for a sword…or bludgeon him with a hammer," she retorted.

Hiccup grimaced. "Gruesome."

Astrid grinned, then chuckled. "I suppose I shouldn't be telling you any of this. You'll likely get the idea I'm about to skewer the man and won't let me bring any of Uncle Finn's weapons."

Hiccup told her in a flat tone. "Somehow, I don't think a lack of weaponry would stop you if you were on a vendetta."

She laughed out loud, pleased he'd called her out. "You're right there, I suppose. We must be the worst family…if you want to call us that…you've ever had to deal with."

Hiccup snorted. "You're certainly up there, I won't deny that. But the worst? Not by a long shot."

Astrid was surprised. "We're not? How could anybody be worse than us?"

Hiccup huffed loudly. "You'd be surprised."

It took very little for the two to slip into an easy banter, Hiccup sharing some of the funnier stories…while keeping client confidentiality…that he'd had the misfortune to be involved in. Astrid then told him some of her finer…and some not so glamorous…moments on the battlefield with her uncle. Hiccup laughed along with her at the slip ups she'd been mortified over. She teased him about his, and Hiccup's sharp wit kept her giggling like a pre-schooler.

The more they spoke, the more at ease they became with each other. All good things, however, must unfortunately come to an end, and this one ended when Hiccup happened to see the clock on the wall. He jolted. They'd been talking for over an hour!

He nervously cleared his throat. "Um…Astrid? As much as I've enjoyed your company, I've just realised we've been talking for quite a while."

Astrid must have noticed the time too, for he heard her sharp intake of breath. "Yes…er, it's been a long while. I'm so sorry about that," she apologized.

"Don't be. It's been nice to chat," he assured her, his voice warm and soothing.

He could hear her smiling when she said softly, "It really has been."

"Um…I had better go now. My dust bunnies are reproducing madly and need to be reined in," he said lightly, trying to ignore the beat increasing in his chest.

"Well, that simply won't do," she replied, pretending to be serious. "You'd best be onto those pesky bunnies before they take over."

Hiccup chuckled. "I'll make sure to do that." He paused for a moment. "I'll be there on Monday when you come in," he promised. He had intended to remind her of her original reason for calling, but it had suddenly felt strange to have such a formal discussion with a client that he'd just spent the last hour having a very casual conversation with. Especially when he was still dressed in his stripey pyjama bottoms and a singlet while lounging on his couch.

Astrid seemed to have the same issues. "Um…yeah. Okay. I'll see you then. Thank you for everything…again," she said in a slightly flustered tone.

Hiccup's smile could have been considered a little forced. "No problem at all. It's been a pleasure."

Astrid hesitated. "Okay. Thanks. Bye then."

"Bye."

"Seeya Hiccup."

Astrid finally hung up, but Hiccup remained sitting with his phone clutched to his chest. Rethinking over their conversation, he suddenly wasn't sure if what he'd done was a good thing or not and he found himself more conflicted than ever before. It felt like he had well and truly stepped over the line in his director-client relationship, treating her like a friend rather than keeping a professional distance.

Hiccup frowned at the revelation, feeling sick to his stomach.

What was he supposed to do now?

-oOo-

Monday morning shone brightly, much to Hiccup's disgust. After his quiet Saturday morning when the only phone call he'd received was Astrid, it had pretty much gone downhill from there. He'd taken three more phone calls from devastated families, and had spent most of his time consoling them before bringing their loved ones back to the mortuary.

In between times, he'd managed to do his grocery shopping so he at least had food in his pantry for the next week. Then he'd had to spend time on the computer, updating his website and then starting on his financial records for tax time... before his accountant started breathing down his neck. Every week it seemed to be an endless cycle of paying bills, then recording it all. Fishleg's idea of a receptionist kept popping up, and he had to reluctantly agree it was becoming more of a necessity if he was to have any time to himself.

The work day had started earlier than usual for Hiccup, as he needed to come in and start on the madness that this week was going to bring. Finn's funeral on Tuesday was shaping up to be a major event with the expected crowd of mourners promising to be more than their generous chapel could comfortably seat. He suspected Heff Hofferson was planning on creating further problems so Hiccup had been forced to pull all his staff in as assistants for the day. Something that Snotlout had already started complaining about, since he hated suits.

Thoughts of his phone call with Astrid had been firmly pushed aside under the onslaught of three extra families to spend time with, as well as the funerals already planned for the week plus all the normal background office work that needed to be done. If he found time to breath, he'd be surprised.

Besides, it still made him sick to remember how he'd crossed that invisible line, so it was easier not to. He knew she was coming in this morning, but he was still undecided how to approach her. Maintaining his usual professional demeanour seemed a little cold, but at this stage, it was all he had to fall back on.

Before he knew it, Fishlegs was informing him that Astrid was waiting in the arrangement room. He smoothed down his shirt and tie, then nervously approached the half open door…only to be confronted with the sight of several weapons laid out on the table.

Astrid's head snapped up at his entrance, accidentally knocking an axe to the floor.

"Woah!" Hiccup jumped back to avoid the...thankfully... sheathed weapon.

Astrid gasped, her hand shooting out to push him back.

"I'm so sorry about that," she apologized, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment as she hurriedly bent to pick up the wayward item.

Hiccup subtly picked up each shoe-clad foot, checking for damage. "That's okay," he said, chuckling nervously. "Just rather fond of my toes staying where they are. No biggie."

Astrid was about to say something further, but blinked when she unexpectedly found twin blondes attempting to rush into the room, wedging themselves in the doorway in their hurry.

Hiccup frowned. "Guys! What are you doing here," he hissed.

"Snot said there was weapons, sharp blades and spikes in here," said Tuff in reverential tones, practically drooling as he gazed lovingly over the weapons before him. He didn't know where to look first.

Without asking for permission, he and Ruffnut were already up against the table, touching and caressing the implements with worshipful delicacy.

Astrid was standing to the side, obviously gob-smacked by the actions of the intruders. Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not sure how to handle the interruption but also realising he had very little chance of shuffling out the two interlopers until they'd had their fill of what they'd come for. He decided he had better introduce them, so Astrid at least had a head start on their madness.

"Er...I'm very sorry, Astrid. Unfortunately, these two weapon loving bozos work for me. Please meet Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Normally I keep them hidden out the back...except for special occasions.

Tuff turned to the startled blonde warrior with tears in his eyes, "We love you! Can you please marry Hiccup so we can come round and play with your axe and spears?" He was so emotional that nobody would have been blinked twice if the tears had started to fall in large drops.

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other, both blushing at Tuff's glib suggestion and the unexpected outpouring of emotion from the dreadlocked man.

Tuffnut didn't notice their reactions, nor did he wait for an answer, turning back almost immediately to the table to gently raise a deadly looking club with a spiked metal head.

"I have dibs on the mace…I loooove Macey," he told anybody who was interested enough to listen.

"Macey?" asked Hiccup, intrigued despite himself.

Ruffnut's fingers danced over the remaining weapons, seemingly unable to make a choice for her favourite, but Tuff was cradling the spiky weapon close to his chest and stroking it.

"It's her name," he spoke lovingly, his eyes full of adoration for the metal object.

"Of course it is," murmured Hiccup dryly, forgetting for a moment about his 'client.' He cast a critical eye over the weapons display but only managed to see in his mind's eye the very detailed hypothetical damage that could possibly be carried out either by his own staff or Astrid herself. It was not a very pretty image, and he shuddered.

"Uh…I don't think we'll be able to have all these weapons on display," he said nervously. "I'm sure it breaks at least several law codes, not to mention my own codes."

Ruff pouted. "Trust Hiccup to be the wet blanket. Come on Tuff, put the weapon down. We have to go," she ordered roughly.

"But…Macey!" moaned Tuffnut despondently when Ruff ripped the weapon from his hands.

"Tuff…we talked about this…remember?" his sister warned. Turning to leave, Ruff dragged a reluctant Tuffnut out of the room, shoving the mace towards a surprised Hiccup. He took it against his chest with a grunt.

It seemed a little quiet after the twins sudden departure from the room, so Hiccup gingerly placed the spiky weapon back onto the table in its original position.

"So…uh, no weapons?" Astrid asked, her expression one of disappointment.

Hiccup couldn't bear to see that look, and he felt himself already giving in. "Maybe one favourite weapon only?" he offered as a compromise.

Her hand shot straight to the axe that had nearly claimed his toes earlier. "This one," she said firmly, thrusting it towards him.

He clumsily grabbed at it, trying not to drop it. Once the handle was safely in his grasp, he sighed in relief to himself. Accidentally removing his own toes didn't sound like a great way to start off a busy week. He set it carefully back on the table.

Glancing over at a clearly unsettled Astrid, Hiccup thought he had better break the nervous tension with an apology.

"I'm sorry I had to say no to the other weapons…especially when I asked you to bring them in. I didn't think they would all be so…sharp," he told her.

She shrugged in acceptance. "That's okay. I honestly didn't think you would give me the chance at all, to be honest. So being allowed to have Finn's favourite axe on display is a major win in my eyes."

Hiccup chuckled nervously. "I think I'll have it firmly secured in any case. Don't want any...accidents...to happen." Whether he meant the twins or Astrid herself, he didn't elaborate.

Astrid nodded. "I have no problems with that. Although, as you said on the weekend, I don't need a weapon."

And there it was. Hiccup froze, not sure how to react. Astrid solved it for him.

She snorted darkly. "Let's just hope Heff doesn't give me a good reason to go after him."

Hiccup chuckled weakly. "Let's hope not."

Astrid frowned, then raised worry-filled eyes to his. "Do you think he could still mess this up for me? For Uncle Finn?" she asked.

Hiccup's heart ached for her, remembering what she was facing. With only one more day before the final event, her biggest adversary still had the potential to undo all that she had worked so hard for. All they had worked for. Without stopping to think about it, he reached forward to give her a supportive hug. She didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms firmly around his middle and seeking comfort in the warmth of his embrace for the few moments it lasted.

Hiccup pulled back, but couldn't find it in himself to regret hugging her when he saw the sense of relief shining in her eyes. Attempting to reassure her with all the conviction he had, Hiccup spoke, "I've got my team primed and ready, Astrid. You can bet we will fight tooth and nail to make it all happen, okay?"

Astrid found herself melting at his words and she relaxed for a split second before a sense of coldness overcame her. After tomorrow, life was going to be so much more lonely without Uncle Finn...or Hiccup...in her life. And she didn't know how to change that.

It wasn't long after that that Astrid left. Hiccup watched her go, thinking that after tomorrow, his life was going to be dull in comparison to the energy that seemed to revolve around her. But he couldn't do anything about it. She was a client, about to say goodbye to her beloved uncle Finn with only the malevolent Heff as her remaining relative. Hiccup knew Astrid had enough complications in her life right now without him adding any more problems for her. There was nothing else he could do, except straighten up and act professional. He had other families who needed his help just as much.

-oOo-

Hiccup couldn't stay focused on Astrid when he had so much work to get through, so it was later in the day while he was engrossed in composing an email to a client that Tuffnut walked into the office. Hiccup barely paid the man any attention as he had another four emails he needed to urgently respond to before his next appointment.

"Hey Hiccup," Tuffnut sang out.

"Hmm?" murmured Hiccup, not diverting from his task.

"How many people do you reckon are dead in the cemetery?"

Hiccup spared his friend a brief glance, but kept on typing. "Umm…a few thousand I suppose? I'm not really sure, Tuff," he answered vaguely.

"I know how many," the lanky blonde told him smugly.

It was a sign of Hiccup's preoccupation, that he didn't even hesitate.

"Okay, Tuff. How many are there, then?" he naively asked.

"All of them," was Tuff's reply.

It took a moment to register before Hiccup caught on. He blinked, then dropped his shoulders with a defeated groan. "Walked right into that one."

Tuff cackled. "Yes, you did. Serves you right for not paying attention."

Hiccup grumbled, going back to his email. "You've been hanging out with Snotlout too much, I think."

"Ah…Snotlout. I knew there was a reason I came in here," Tuff began.

"You had a reason? Apart from annoying me?" asked Hiccup dryly.

Tuff shrugged and grinned. "That's a given. You forget who you're talking to."

Hiccup shook his head grimly, still typing. "Not by a long shot, Tuff. Not at all possible."

Tuffnut cackled, pleased with his notoriety. He was quiet happy to stand and bask in the glow of that knowledge, so Hiccup felt the need to prompt him for his original purpose.

"So what about Snotlout?" he asked pointedly.

"Oh yeah…he's having trouble with the cremator again," came the casual reply.

"What? Why didn't you say that straight away," groaned Hiccup in frustration, getting up from his seat. He had so much work to get through today and this interruption was the last thing he needed.

Walking into the hallway with Tuff on his heel, Hiccup could easily see the thick smoke that was seeping from around the cremator doors and rising up to curl along the ceiling in wispy waves.

Tuffnut had a Cheshire-like grin as held his arms out wide. "Welcome to the smoking section. If you want the non-smoking section, I shall have to redirect you to the cemetery."

Tuffnut waited for Hiccup's reaction to his riddle.

Hiccup remained unmoved, shooting him a flat glare instead.

"Cause nobody's smoking there," Tuff prompted with a roll of his hand.

Hiccup frowned. "I got it. It wasn't funny. Where's Snotlout?" he demanded.

"He had to put a fire out," replied Tuffnut with a casual shrug, at the same time as the man himself appeared around the corner.

"There's no fire," growled Snot irritably.

Hiccup raised a brow and Tuff stared at him in mild horror.

Snotlout faltered. "Of course there's a fire, but it's where it's supposed to be. Not…wherever Tuff thinks it is," he added impatiently.

"Is there a problem?" Hiccup asked quickly, wanting to get to the bottom of this situation quickly so he could either go into damage control, or return to the multitude of tasks that still waited for his attention.

Snotlout shook his head. "No. There was a blockage, but it's all sorted out now."

Hiccup nodded in relief, mumbling to himself, "Good, cause it's so thick in here we could add a couple of strobe lights and start a disco."

Tuffnut perked up. "Now that's an idea."

Hiccup growled, "Reject it," before he went to air out the building from the residual smoke by opening doors and windows, and turning on fans. Snotlout did the same while Tuffnut stood in the middle and pouted.

"Boy, what a stick in the mud. What would your grandfather say if he was alive to see you now?"

"If he was still alive, he'd be wondering what he was doing in a coffin," was the quick-as-a-flash response.

Snotlout snorted. "He got you there."

Tuffnut was unperturbed. "Was your grandfather buried? I wouldn't want to be buried in a cemetery."

He waited expectantly, and finally Hiccup caved. "Why not?"

"Too many stiffs. Hey, did you know you can't be buried if you live within a 40 mile radius of the cemetery?"

Snotlout screwed his nose up in confusion, flapping open the last door. "Why not?"

"Because you have to be dead first," was Tuffnut's triumphant reply.

Snotlout's head thudded against the door, and Hiccup snorted.

"That was just super bad," Snotlout complained. "If you're gonna tell a joke, at least make sure it's a good one."

The two men started to bicker over what constituted a good joke, so it was a relief when Fishlegs stuck his head into the hallway to inform Hiccup his next appointment had arrived. He left the other two to finish clearing out and headed back to the office.

-oOo-

It wasn't long after his last client left, that an old familiar name popped up. Hiccup was filling in a form when the phone rang. Automatically picking it up, he answered with his usual greeting. The voice on the other end was tremulous and wavering.

"Er, my name's Sam. I was given a message to call here and ask for Myra Mains?" the man said uncertainly.

Hiccup blinked.

He smacked his face and sighed quietly, but decided to play along. "Well, we certainly have Re Mains, but I'm afraid yours aren't here."

"Are you sure? I was told to ring this number and ask for Myra Mains," Sam insisted.

Hiccup waited for a moment, to see if it would sink in what the man had just asked for. There was an awkward pause, so Hiccup thought he had better help the man out.

"Can you say that name quickly for me?" he asked, to Sam's confusion.

"Myremains," he said obediently. "Oh….OH….oh, I'm so sorry," he said, totally flustered at being caught out.

Hiccup had to chuckle. "No problems. Happens more times than you would think. Just do me a favour, and don't pass the joke on. Otherwise I'll get another twenty calls and I'm rather busy today."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Bye."

"Bye."

Hiccup put the phone down, still chuckling. Fishlegs looked over, "Something funny?"

"Yeah, Myra sends her regards," said Hiccup.

Fishlegs grinned and shook his head. "That joke still going round, is it? You know, the day I meet someone named Myra, I will probably fall over laughing."

"Just don't do it here, and you'll be good," said Hiccup chuckling.

-oOo-

Hiccup stood up from his seat, arching his back to release the tightness there. It had been a very long day, but he still had two more arrangements to complete before he could go home. Unfortunately, he knew this next family well. It was always an extra special time when his services were called on by friends. The whole process became so much more personal.

The old lady entered carefully through the entrance door, assisted by her middle aged daughter.

Hiccup met them in the foyer.

"Mrs Reynolds. I'm so sorry about your husband," he greeted the elderly lady, his tone reflecting the sincerity and warmth he held for her. Leaning forward to give Mrs Reynolds a consolatory hug, she kissed his cheek fondly. Straightening up, Hiccup offered her his arm which she took willingly.

"Thank you my dear, but don't feel sorry for me. It's a blessing for poor old Frank that he's gone now. He hasn't had much of a life these last few years in that nursing home. Dementia is a cruel mistress," Mrs Reynolds told him while they slow stepped into the arrangement room. She took her time to ease into a chair with the help of Hiccup and her daughter, then sighed in relief once the pressure had been taken off her arthritic hips.

Hiccup held out the second seat for Mrs Reynolds daughter, who smiled at him as she seated herself.

"Thank you Hiccup."

"My pleasure, Rose," he responded with a polite smile.

Hiccup turned his attention back to the elder lady with a touch of sadness in his eyes. "It's lovely to see you again, Mrs Reynolds, but not in these circumstances."

She chuckled quietly. "Yes, we have to stop meeting this way. People are starting to talk. And please, stop calling me Mrs Reynolds. I feel old enough as it is. We've done this enough times now that we deserve to be on a first name basis. Don't you think so, Hiccup?" she asked, her gaze still firm, even if her body was failing.

Hiccup smirked fondly at the straight talking old lady. He'd always enjoyed her company on previous occasions where he'd helped her bury family members.

"Yes Esme. I do. Thank you."

"Don't thank me dear. I haven't paid the bill yet."

Hiccup had to laugh, while Rose rolled her eyes in long-sufferance at her mother's antics.

At the hint towards business, Hiccup pulled his paperwork closer, shuffling through it to see what he needed first. He scanned the sheet in his hand.

"We'll get down to it then. I need you to double check the information we already have for the death registration. Oh! I see Frank was married before?" Hiccup sounded surprised, having heard so many stories about Frank and Esme's life together over the years. He'd always assumed they were sole partners.

"Yes, we found each other later in life after our previous partners died," Esme responded with a small reminiscent twitch of her lips.

"He's not your first husband?" Hiccup asked curiously, feeling bold enough to ask such a question.

Esme shook her head. "No, dear. Frank was my third, bless him. All three of them died in one way or another." She learned forward conspiratorly. "Some of my friends are calling me the 'Black Widow' now. Trying to scare off any prospective suitors," she finished with a teasing wink.

"Do you intend to get married again?" he asked, trying not to sound astonished. Esme Reynolds was on the wrong side of eighty. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

She laughed delightedly. "Oh dear me, no thank you, Hiccup. I intend to live out the rest of my years in glorious widowhood surrounded by my family…if they don't shuffle me off to the nearest nursing home first."

Rose stared at her mother, aghast at such a suggestion. "Mum! We would never do anything like that," she protested.

Esme chuckled, reaching over to pat her daughter's hand tenderly. "I know you won't Rose. But when I become too much of a burden, I fully expect you to drop me off there. I have no problem with those lovely nurses running around after me, bringing me cups of tea and biscuits while I chat with all my friends. If Frank had been in his right mind, he would have loved all that female attention too, don't you worry about that. He was a skirt chaser to the end, my Frank."

Hiccup choked.

Rose was scandalized. "Mum!"

"Oh, don't look at me like that. Frank was a loyal man to the core. He only ever went sightseeing. He always came home for dinner…." Esme glanced sideways at Hiccup, and gave him a saucy wink. "…if you know what I mean."

Hiccup's brows shot up at her words, and he found himself blushing a little.

"Mother…do you have to?" chastised Rose crossly.

Esme waved her hand dismissively. "Oh bosh. Hiccup's a grown man. I'm sure he already knows about the birds and the bees, don't you Hiccup."

Hiccup blushed harder, but tried to keep a straight face anyway. "Um…yes. I believe so."

"There, see? No harm done. Besides, I can't say much about Frank when I'm currently seeing five men every day," she added with a twinkle in her eye.

Hiccup blinked a few times. Rose shot her mother an exasperated look.

"Er…?" Hiccup wasn't exactly sure where to go after that statement.

Esme continued without batting an eye. "Yes. Will Power comes to get me out of bed in the morning, then Billy Tea pops over for breakfast."

Hiccup breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and relaxed. He smirked, waiting for the rest of it.

"…After that, Arthur Ritis shows up and he keeps me busy going from joint to joint. I'm always tired at the end of such a day, but I still go to bed with Johnny Walker. There was another one, who was it?...Oh yes, that's right. Al, he's the last one. Al Zheimer visits every now and again. Usually when I don't want him."

Hiccup chuckled while Rose shook her head, a small smirk showing she'd heard this story a few times before.

"Glad to hear you're keeping busy," he told Esme in a droll tone.

She shot him a look full of mirth. "Cheeky boy," she admonished him with a grin.

Hiccup laughed with great delight. Mrs Reynolds was certainly a treasure.

With Mrs Reynold's sharp wit keeping him on his toes, Hiccup proceeded with the rest of the arrangement. It all went rather quickly as Esme and Frank had pre-arranged their funerals years before. There was only a few signatures required and last minute details to take care of. Once all that had been accomplished, Rose and Hiccup helped the old lady back to her feet and assisted her to the reception. Rose excused herself to go bring the car closer to the exit, while Hiccup held onto the older lady's arm for support while she waited.

Mrs Reynolds thoughtfully eyed off the young man standing patiently beside her.

"So, Hiccup…have you found a nice girlfriend yet?" she asked interestedly. She was old enough to get away with such questions, and besides, she'd known him long enough that she considered him a good friend of the family.

He hesitated, then shook his head regrettably. "No, Esme. I don't exactly get a lot of time to socialize," he replied in a dry tone. "The dead are not too accommodating in that regard."

Her eyes glittered with the scent of opportunity.

"Well, I'm surprised the girls aren't waiting in line for such a nice, handsome young man as yourself," she responded coyly.

"You and me both," Hiccup muttered with more than a touch of irony.

"You know dear… I have three unattached granddaughters you could meet. Well…two at least. The third's just finalising her divorce," Esme slyly told him in a tone Hiccup felt compelled to run from…rapidly in the opposite direction.

"Ah, no, Mrs Reynolds," he began nervously, attempting to refuse without offending the old lady.

"I won't take no for an answer," Esme interrupted with a determined smile. "Dinner, tomorrow night. My house. And don't bring a thing," she told him firmly.

Hiccup began to panic.

"I'm sorry, Mrs Reynolds…" he began again, trying to be polite.

The old lady frowned at his reservation. "You don't want to disappoint an old woman, do you?" she tried to persuade him. "You know, I don't have much time left on this earth and I so wanted to make sure my girls found a nice man before I die."

Hiccup put a hand to his chest, his eyes wide as he fought to find a way out of this situation that didn't involve being emotionally blackmailed by a granny.

"I'm flattered that you think of me as a good candidate for your granddaughters…but I have to confess…I'm not," he told her, trying to keep the desperate tone out of his voice.

Mrs Reynolds was puzzled at that. "You're not? Why not?"

"I…I…," Hiccup cast around the office frantically for any ideas and saw the paperwork for Finn Hofferson. Astrid's name immediately came to mind. "I already have a girlfriend," he blurted out suddenly.

"A girlfriend?" Mrs Reynolds was quite confuddled now. "But I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend?"

Hiccup's deep shrug was apologetic. "Wellll…we're not official yet. I haven't asked her properly, but we've been sort of seeing each other….a lot actually," he half-fibbed madly, hoping the elderly lady wouldn't see through his bluff. Or that Astrid would ever find out. He didn't think he could run fast enough.

After a lengthy pause where Mrs Reynolds keen eyes were focussed directly on him and Hiccup had to fight the urge to tug on his collar, she finally glanced downwards.

"Oh," she said in a disappointed tone. "I'm sorry to hear that.

She gave a small sniff, and Hiccup felt absolutely terrible. He reached forward to pat her hand where it rested on his arm.

"Tell you what…if it doesn't work out, I'll come to dinner with you and your granddaughters," he offered in consolation.

She gave him a small grin, the twinkle back in her eye. She patted him gently on the cheek.

"Thank you, Hiccup. I always knew you were a good man. But I don't think I'll be seeing you anytime soon. This girl…she sounds kind of special."

Hiccup let his mind wander back to a certain blonde-haired woman who had stolen a lot of his thoughts lately, and his smile held a wistful quality that he didn't know was on display.

"She is," he agreed softy.

"Well then dear, I wish you both the best of luck," said Mrs Reynolds sincerely, preparing to leave when her daughter came back to hold open the door. "Good bye Hiccup. Thank you for everything."

-oOo-

Hiccup had barely finished escorting his client through the front door when he was immediately accosted by his staff.

"You have a girlfriend?" Fishlegs, asked, his eyes wide in incredulous wonder. "When did this happen?" he demanded.

Snotlout and the twins were practically hanging over the broader man's shoulders, eager to hear their boss's answer.

"No! I don't," Hiccup denied vehemently. "I was just saying Astrid was my girlfriend so that I wouldn't have to be matched up by Mrs Reynolds to her three granddaughters…lovely as I'm sure they all are," he protested.

There was a pause.

Ruff spoke up quietly. "Nobody mentioned Astrid's name. You only said you had a girlfriend."

Hiccup's mouth fell open, and he gaped at them realising what he'd done.

"Uh…um, no, I…ah…" he stuttered, unable to provide any kind of coherent reply.

His four friends stared back at him with various expressions of shock, mirth or glee.

Snotlout shouted triumphantly, "I knew it! I knew she was his girlfriend. Didn't I call it?" he bragged loudly. "And you tried to throw us off by saying she was 'just a client'," Snotlout mocked.

Hiccup's heart beat harder in his chest at Snotlout's words. He already knew that the idea of Astrid being his girlfriend had crossed his mind…several times in fact…over the last few days. But he also knew he'd dismissed that idea just as rapidly because she was his client. But having his inner turmoil so openly exposed when he was barely managing to control those thoughts himself was more than he knew how to deal with.

"She's NOT my girlfriend," he said sharply. "How could she be? I'm cremating her uncle, Snotlout," he reminded the other man forcefully. "Now can you please leave her alone…and stop saying those idiotic things," he demanded, his fists clenched tightly by his side as he fought to keep himself under control.

Snotlout wouldn't leave it alone. "Of course she is…and you know I'm right," he answered smugly.

Hiccup opened his mouth to give a rebuttal, but could not think of a single word to say in return to Snotlout's persistence. He knew that no matter what he said, his friends would continue to harangue him about Astrid. The idea of being so forcibly reminded of what was not possible was more than his bruised and beaten heart could take.

He snapped.

"That's it." Grabbing his keys and jacket he almost ran from the room.

"Where are you going?" Fishlegs yelled at his escaping friend. "You have an arrangement with the Davis family in ten minutes."

Hiccup yelled back. "You take it. I've gotta go." Then he was gone.

Fishlegs was astounded. He turned to the others. "Where does he have to go?"

Snotlout sniggered. "Boy needs to find his self-respect…and a great wingman." He puffed up proudly. "Luckily, I know just the guy."

Ruffnut cuffed him. "He needs you like a hole in the head," she scoffed. "He's already found his girl. He just needs to man up and go get her."

Fishlegs watched Hiccup's black sedan disappear down the driveway, and hummed thoughtfully to himself while the others argued. He cared about his friend deeply, but he had to agree with Ruffnut. Maybe not right now before Finn's funeral, but it was time for Hiccup to put aside his worries…and 'man up'.

* * *

 **My only excuse is Esme made me do it…and I apologize to Myra. Next chapter...the funeral.**


End file.
